Divide, Render, Conquer
by trisanamcgraw
Summary: AlternateS4. Daemon knows the best way to take over a system is to split apart its inhabitants and take away all their power. And she's not the only one. [Discontinued]
1. 1: The Surge

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DIVIDE, RENDER, CONQUER

By Trisana McGraw

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Author's Note: 

Before the fic, I must credit everyone and everything that made this fanfic possible. First, thanks to **CeliaZ** and **CrystalStar**, who both acted as beta readers and wonderful friends that put up with my ideas. **CeliaZ** also helped me a lot with sorting through all of my mixed thoughts, and she came up with some names (for chapters and sprites). Thanks also to **Wrin**, for being just a wonderful person to proofread the first draft of this. God bless you, Wrin! I must also thank **LadyBard**, who helped me in finding sources for names and appearances of my characters. I'm deeply grateful for the help from all of you.

In terms of inspiration, I owe a great debt of gratitude to _The West Wing_ and their season-ender; without it, I would have had no big climax, and I wouldn't have been led to the nifty title. Thank you Aaron Sorkin — you are a genius! (Look for the base on the episode "Someone's Going to Emergency, Someone's Going to Jail" in a Game in Chapter One. Oh, and if you completely don't understand it, don't worry — it's just a pretty stupid nod to a funny episode.)

Thank you to Mainframe Entertainment for making ReBoot — without it, I would probably have no existence on the Internet.

No suing, please! The ReBoot characters belong to MFE. All of the characters that I created are mine — but, to keep some people happy, I add that though they are mine, the original ideas for sprites, binomes, etc. belong to MFE. So, only their names and appearances belong to me.

PROLOGUE

It was the darkest of night in the Supercomputer. The huge buildings, dazzling by day, had powered down — some of them, never to be lit again.

In the dark alleys of downtown, a dim circle of lights appeared out of the dark, bobbing up and down the empty streets as their holders made their way quietly to the large structure that housed the enemy.

Outside of the building, the group stopped and stared with disgust. What had once been the Guardian Academy was now a deformed place that radiated super-viral energy. Its gray walls were charred and marked with signs of the Infection, while an eerie green light glowed through the windows without end. Transparent green smoke rose from twin towers jutting from the top of the Academy, spreading across the Supercomputer's sky and blocking all sunlight, making the sky seem hazy all second and downtime long.

They couldn't attack it, not with so small a group. One second, when they had more allies, Daemon's infected Guardian Academy would fall. The rebel group continued on the streets to the houses belonging to nobility and rich sprites, stopping before an estate belonging to a rich resident who had recently fallen under Daemon's infection. Their meager machines had confirmed that her home held Daemon's newest power.

The leader of the group raised his lantern. Its meager light reflected off his face, casting a shadow on his hard brown eyes, firm jaw, and a long scar that ran from his left eye down his cheek to his chin. He held the lantern to the doorway, searching for any cracks. When he found one, he motioned to the others, and a few sprites stepped forward to help him open the door.

The great slab slid aside with a sound of stone scraping against rock, and the group hesitated, on the alert for guards. But none came, and they cautiously entered the building, holding their lights ahead of them to guide them.

Inside, the building stank of musty odors; dark vines highlighted with green veins clung to the damp walls. The sprites moved on, their feet making no sound as they sneaked down the long hallway.

Near the end of the group, a teenage sprite whispered to his friend, "I don't know why we have to be so quiet. There's no one here."

The lead sprite froze. Slowly, he turned and advanced on the sprite that had spoken. "I'll tell you something, boy," he growled, gesturing around them with his lantern, its light casting eerie shadows on the walls. "This entire place could be filled with infected sprites, probably Guardians, armed to the teeth. Could be. Maybe you're right; maybe this place is empty. But chances are, you're wrong. And if you make one false move — _one _ -- we could all be finished." His eyes flashed. "Understand?"

The teenager nodded. Flinging long red hair out of his eyes, he murmured, "You don't need to make it all dramatic, Dad."

His father shook his head. "That's reality, Dean. Come on," he said, addressing everyone, "we have work to do."

The sprite resumed the lead, as they crept through several passages before they came to the inner chamber of Daemon. The sprites set their lights by the doorway and went to explore the room. A large, inanimate machine stood in the center, its screen blank and strange wires hanging by its sides. Further searching past the machine led to a side chamber. Some sprites went to see what was inside it. They returned a millisecond later.

"There seem to be some sort of pods in there," one of them reported to their leader. "See for yourself."

The sprite took a step into the side room and studied a small, translucent pod — much like what a baby Web creature was born in. To the others, he announced, "We don't know what these are; they could be dangerous. Destroy the entire chamber."

"Hey, Dad!" Dean called from the main chamber. The sprite grimaced and went to reprimand him; but when he reached his son, he saw that he had found a small disc — a black and white icon. The sprite took it and studied it for a nano. "This belonged to Isna Radius," he announced. Isna was the most recent abduction they had witnessed by the Guardians, and the owner of the home. "Maybe this will tell where she is."

The sprites searched the chambers, but there were no more rooms, and they had found all there was. The leader lit a torch and threw it into the side room, then helped others to close the door.

"Let's go," he commanded, with a nod at the other rebels. "We need to get away before the entire place is destroyed."

They regained their lanterns. As Dean picked his up, he felt a cold limb coil around his wrist. He froze as a small, black creature hopped onto his arm.

"Ah, Dad?" he called faintly. "There's something on my arm —"

The sprite turned back. "Dean, quiet," he hissed. When his gaze rested upon the creature, though, his eyes widened, and he said, "Throw it away."

"I can't," Dean whispered, terrified. The creature had dug sharp claws into his forearm, and he felt weaker, as though his energy was being drained.

A woman stepped forward. "What is that--?" she started to ask, bringing a lantern up, when the creature raised its head. Its black eyes reflected in the light, as its fangs gnashed.

The woman shrank back. "A baby Web creature," she whispered, answering her own question.

The energy was quickly being drained from Dean's arm. He tried feebly to shake the Web creature off, but it clung fast. Suddenly, its head snapped up, and it gave a long, loud screech that echoed throughout the entire chamber.

The sprites listened breathlessly for several nanos; then a roaring sound began from faraway, growing louder as it approached.

The leader of the rebel group shouted, "Run!" just as a sea of data exploded in the room. It collided with the door to the side room, and that room burst open, as fire and data traveled towards them. The sprites ran towards the doors, but several were carried away and slammed into the walls, while others were quickly drowned. Dean's father grabbed his arm and pulled him ahead to safety. The Web creature detached from his arm, and the sprites ran as fast as their legs could carry them toward the exit, followed by a few others.

The silence of the night was broken as Isna Radius' extravagant home crashed to the ground, data seeping from the ruined walls and running down the streets. The crash of the building opened up several tears; a few turned to weak portals that closed in a few milliseconds. 

A few residents looked up at the wrecked building; but they soon looked back down. Destruction was not uncommon anymore, now that Daemon had conquered, and turned many to her infection. It was, rather, a normal second in the Supercomputer.

Inside, the baby Web creature sailed through the air over to the small icon that had been dropped. It picked it up in its jaws and made its way over to a hidden doorway, where a sprite stood. The sprite Isna let the creature rest on her arm as she replaced the icon on her belt. She surveyed the disaster area with grim satisfaction; her pupils glowed a green as deathly as the veins that pulsed at her temples. She left the destroyed chambers, walking briskly toward another. She had already forgotten the trap; Daemon was using her host's quick mind to process another plan for the destruction of all whom opposed her.

CHAPTER ONE

THE SURGE

Dot Matrix sighed and closed the last VidWindow. She had recently re-opened her Dot's Diner business, and orders and meetings had swooped in, like it had been before the war. It gave her a sense of security to work again, to feel like her old entrepreneurial self.

It had taken one and a half minutes after the system reboot for everyone to fall back into his or her old lives. Dot worked at the Diner again; Enzo (the little one) returned to school — not that he felt he had ever been gone — Mouse worked in the Principle Office on the security systems, with Ray to help her; and Bob, Matrix, and AndrAIa acted as protectors of Mainframe by playing the Games.

Dot looked up as the Diner doors opened, and in came her "older" brother and AndrAIa. The game sprite waved. "Hey, Dot," she called as they approached.

Dot smiled at the two. "So, have you guys found a place to live yet?"

Matrix shook his head. "There's nowhere that's free; but if we have to stay at the P.O. for another minute, I'm going to go random."

"Maybe Bob will let you stay at his apartment," Dot offered.

Matrix shrugged. "We'll see."

As they started to go, Enzo came from the downstairs level of the Diner. "Dot," he said, "can you help me with my homework?" He glanced up at Matrix and unconsciously took a half-step back.

Dot looked up with a sad, apologetic look at Matrix. Even after a minute and a half, Enzo was still afraid of his older self; and Matrix showed no wish to talk to his counterpart. Dot wished they would get to know each other; it made her sad to see her brother — no, _brothers_ — in such a state.

AndrAIa glanced towards Matrix as well. "Come on, Sparky, we'd better go." The two left the Diner and zipped towards Kits Sector. Before they reached it, though, the sky darkened.

WARNING: INCOMING GAME. WARNING: INCOMING GAME.

They changed their path and flew towards the spot where the Game was landing.

"Enzo, AndrAIa!" a voice called. Bob appeared beside them. He grinned. "Need another sprite?"

"Bob," AndrAIa started, "we've been meaning to ask you: Could we —"

She was cut off as the Game landed, and they found themselves on a ship hovering over a dark planet. The ship took a steep nosedive into the ground, causing the three to lurch. AndrAIa grabbed Matrix's arm, and Bob supported himself against the hatch as the ship ground to a halt.

The hatch opened; dust swirled around it and settled to the ground. The rugged terrain stretched as far as the eye could see, and in the distance, large mountains jutted up.

"Reboot!"

Matrix, AndrAIa, and Bob tapped their icons. The green light washed over them; and when it cleared, they were wearing bulky armor and dark helmets, and they carried various ammunition.

Bob's voice crackled over the com-link. "I've seen this Game before: Roughnecks. The goal is to defeat the bugs and get to Base across there." He waved his rifle at the mountains. "Then we need to find the Queen bug and delete her."

"Alphanumeric," Matrix muttered.

AndrAIa focused with the extra-vision that came with the helmet; and she could see the openings of caves carved into the mountainsides. She glanced below them, and swallowed. "Ah, boys," she warned, "it looks like we've got company."

Approaching them was a horde of murderous-looking bugs, with high, arched tails bearing large stingers. Some gnashed their dagger-sharp teeth.

"Right," Bob said. They jumped from the ship and stood on the desert; the bugs were still yards away. "Wait until they come close enough, then shoot."

The bugs approached with slow confidence. There was nowhere to run or hide.

"On my count," Bob said tersely. "One . . ."

The bugs were within ten feet.

"Two . . ."

A bug lunged for Bob without warning. Matrix swung his Gun around and shot down the bug. Bob ducked as another sailed over his head, and he deleted it in mid-air.

The bugs attacked as one, a sea of tearing claws and poison barbs. Bob, AndrAIa, and Matrix fought, shooting them down, dodging bites. Still, the bugs swarmed in to attack.

"Okay, maybe this wasn't such a good idea!" Bob shouted into his mouthpiece.

"Look over there!" AndrAIa yelled. On the other side of the ship were three skiffs. Bob and AndrAIa ran toward them with Matrix following, delivering accurate shots at the bugs. They jumped on the skiffs and tore across the desert, with the bugs in hot pursuit, screeching angrily.

They reached the mountains; the three jumped off the skiffs and ran inside one of the caves. The bugs rushed by; after they had gone, Bob, Matrix, and AndrAIa leaned against the wall in relief. They looked around their small hiding place and saw that it branched off in exactly three passageways.

"Good, very good," Bob murmured to himself. "Now all we need is something to fry these bugs. . . ." As he spoke, he searched through his pack and came out with a handful of bombs. "Perfect." Matrix and AndrAIa had also found bombs.

"All right, we need to set these at different places, each one for ten milliseconds," Bob said, "and find that Queen. Matrix, you go down the right tunnel; AndrAIa, you take the left; and I'll go this way. Let's make a little mischief," he laughed, sounding like the Guardian he was before the war.

The two nodded and went their separate ways. Bob shouldered his gun and started down the center tunnel, wary for anything.

Mouse stood up from the console she had been working on. One panel was split open, and wires spilled out. She sighed and wiped a hand across her forehead.

Ray Tracer looked up from the other control panel and grinned. "I hope you're not going to leave it like that?"

Mouse grinned back. "Ah'm just takin' a break, then Ah'll finish up so we can go." She walked over and wrapped her arms around Ray's neck. "But first . . ."

"Hey," Dot called as she walked into the room, interrupting their kiss. "Breaking?"

Mouse smiled impishly. "Maybe. Ya know, this is the last kiss we'll have in Mainframe."

Dot smiled too; but it was replaced with a serious expression. "I hope you find information on Daemon."

"Count on it, Honey. With mah excellent guide, we'll have the Web mapped out and ev'ry system visited before y'all can twitch an eye." Mouse returned to the console and began rearranging wires.

Dot nodded. "When Bob, Enzo, and AndrAIa return, we'll all say good-bye." Unconsciously, she glanced out a VidWindow at the looming purple cube in Kits.

Mouse saw her worry. "Don't worry, Dot; the three of `em are great Game players. They'll be out in no time."

Dot nodded again, and she briskly walked out of the room, but her thoughts were on Mouse and Ray's departure, and the Game.

Matrix walked slowly down the tunnel, Gun out and ready. He had finished setting his bombs, and now he was searching for the Queen bug. The damp floors masked the sounds of his boots, giving him stealth — but also keeping any bugs' approaches silent, he thought.

He rounded a corner and found himself in a dark chamber. He walked forward several steps, holding Gun out, but nothing attacked. He turned to go when he heard a faint scraping against rock. Matrix spun back around, but he couldn't see anything in the darkness. He focused with his cybernetic eye and his helmet, and he picked up a shape.

Something flashed at the edge of his vision, distracting him. Matrix jerked to the side, but there was nothing visible in the dark passage. Then it was there again, fluttering just out of sight every time he turned his head.

Something struck him in the arm, and Matrix whirled around with a cry. His eyes narrowed as he saw the small shape of a drone, tiptoeing along on its spindly legs. The drone was holding a small gun that it leveled at him. Matrix shot at the drone, but it dodged the shot and skittered away

Matrix suddenly remembered the thing that had struck him. He picked at his arm and finally pulled out a small object, which he flung away. Matrix rubbed his arm vigorously, feeling a stinging feeling that was slowly fading, not noticing the slight glow of green veins that lasted for only a nanosecond. He felt no injury as far as he could tell, but he realized that he was bleeding slightly, and he held his hand over the cut.

Matrix swore under his breath, feeling thoroughly confused, as well as vengeful. He went for the way out, but in the dark he was lost. He fumbled in his pack for a light, and came up with a small glow-rod. He snapped it on and held it up so it could illuminate the chamber, and he slowly made his way out.

In the passageway, he found Bob and AndrAIa, having just come from the other tunnels.

"You all right?" Bob asked. Matrix nodded, lifting his hand to check his arm.

"You're bleeding!" AndrAIa exclaimed. "Let me see."

"It's nothing," he protested, even as his girlfriend wiped the energy off his bicep.

AndrAIa glanced back at the dark chamber. "What was in there? Was it the Queen?"

Matrix thought, then shook his head. "It wasn't the Queen. It looked like one of those drones — like Daemon's, from that system where we encountered the Guardians."

AndrAIa's eyes widened, and she looked from Matrix to Bob. Bob looked at the passageway Matrix had come from, and he said, "We have no idea where it went, so we can't follow it. It'll get deleted when the bombs explode."

"Speaking of, we have to get out of here," AndrAIa said. "We've got less than ten milliseconds." She started to say something else, and then she stopped, listening to something. Bob and Matrix strained to hear, and they picked up a faint clacking sound from down the passage. The clack-clack grew louder — as if whatever was making that noise was coming closer.

Suddenly, the walls began to tremble. A large shape pushed its way through the small opening Matrix had come through earlier. The giant bug stood five times taller than any of the others, with six razor-sharp legs and a bulging abdomen. It used its long, poison-tipped tail, as well as its legs, to carve an opening through the rock, as bits crumbled away. When the Queen bug was through, she turned her fiery red gaze to the three armored sprites, and she gnashed her teeth hungrily. They turned and ran quickly into a small alcove, as the Queen followed. When she realized she couldn't reach them through the small opening, she screamed in open rage but stayed watching.

"Anyone got any bombs left?" AndrAIa asked.

The two shook their heads, and AndrAIa sighed. "And anyway, the ones we did set have a while to go off. We've got to shoot her, then. But in this close quarters, it's going to be hard."

"I'll do it," Matrix volunteered. He raised Gun, but Bob stopped him. 

"Gun's no match," the Guardian said. "We've got to use something bigger."

Matrix bristled. "What do we have?" he retorted.

A sound made them stop arguing. They turned to see AndrAIa grin and heft a shoulder cannon. "This thing's got two shots," she explained, "and enough power to delete our Queen. The problem is, we need to do it without deleting ourselves in the process."

Bob took the cannon from her. "Looks like it's my job," he mused. "Let's lead her out."

They jumped out of the cave. Matrix fired a shot at the Queen's head. It bounced off, but it was enough to distract her. Bob aimed the cannon; but at the last nano, the Queen screeched and swatted him, and his shot went awry. He stumbled and accidentally shot again; this time it hit, but it only disintegrated three of the Queen's legs. She stumbled and fell with a crash that shook the mountain.

"Come on!" Bob yelled. "Let's get outside!" He, Matrix, and AndrAIa ran from the mountain, with the Queen in limping pursuit. She buzzed, and swarms of other bugs appeared. The three speeded up.

They emerged into the glaring sunlight, and immediately ran for their skiffs. When they boarded them, though, the skiffs' engines groaned and went dead.

"Of course," Bob muttered to no one. He, AndrAIa, and Matrix turned to face their enemies. The bugs were steadily approaching, buzzing in united fury. Their Queen was at the rear, hissing in pain as green liquid seeped from her broken limbs.

"The cannon's got no more shots!" Bob shouted in frustration. "We can't shoot them!"

The bugs were fast approaching. AndrAIa glanced at the two men. "Any ideas?"

"Wait!" Bob shouted. 

"Now what?" Matrix asked tightly.

"The bombs are about to go off," Bob said. He stood still and waited, even as the bugs came closer. Matrix and AndrAIa stood beside him tensely, their energy pounding in their veins. Bob counted silently, "Three . . . two . . . one. RUN!" he screamed. 

They ran for the ship as the mountain exploded, and fiery rocks were hurled at the army, setting the bugs on fire, and the fire spread across every bug until it reached the Queen and burned her, too. Green energy splattered the dry desert ground, and anguished screams faded in the hot air.

GAME OVER.

Dot sighed in relief. "They won."

"And just in time," Mouse said, closing the panel on the console.

"You doubted we could?" Bob retorted, walking into the room, followed by Matrix and AndrAIa. "Dot, I'm hurt."

The Command.com grinned at the Guardian and leaned over to kiss him.

After the kiss, Dot turned back to the others. "Well, I guess . . . I guess this is good-bye," she said with a forced smile. "I can speak for everyone when I say Mainframe won't be the same without you. At least, not until the war is over."

They stood in sad silence, until Mouse said, "Whassa matter with ya all? Ray n I are just takin' a little vacation; it's not like we're leavin' foreva. We'll be keepin' in touch with any info we find out about her viral highness. But," she added with a grin, "we won't get a chance to leave if we don't finish with good-byes."

"You're right," Dot said. She looked to the side, though, and her smile turned to a frown. "Where's Enzo? Oh, right — I sent him to the docks to wait for the pirates. Matrix, please go find Enzo."

He rolled his eyes and looked as if he were going to say something, but he decided against it and started out the door.

Dot smiled apologetically. "Sorry. I just wanted my little brother to be here to say good-bye."

Mouse shrugged. "It's fine. We'll find somethin' ta amuse ourselves."

AndrAIa came over to talk with Mouse over something technical, and Bob came next to Dot. He put an arm around her waist, and she rested her head on his shoulder.

"It's tough to let friends leave," Bob said in a reassuring voice.

"I know," Dot sighed. "I just wish things could stay the way they were when the system rebooted; no more changes."

"I know," Bob whispered, and Dot wondered if he was thinking of something other than Daemon. "I know."


	2. The Surge, PART 2

CHAPTER ONE

THE SURGE, PART 2

Matrix muttered a few choice words to himself as he walked by the docks. One thing that irritated him about his younger self — besides the disturbing resemblance — was Enzo's naïve and annoying ways, which got on his nerves. And he didn't quite appreciate baby-sitting the little sprite, either.

He scanned the docks, and growled under his breath when he didn't see the small sprite. Suddenly he picked up Enzo, bending over by the edge of the dock, where the data sea lapped against it. He was reaching out for an object in the data.

Matrix's vision clouded over, and he saw a large black shape explode from the water and lunge for Enzo, screaming hungrily. The boy stood frozen with fear as the thing clawed viciously at him.

"Kid!" Matrix shouted, breaking into a run toward him. "Watch out, there's something —"

He ran to save Enzo. When he reached the dock, however, his vision cleared, and the only thing he saw was Enzo, holding a small, harmless-looking bundle. "It's all right," he said. "The only thing here was this." He gestured at the bundle.

Matrix shook his head, but the creature was nowhere to be seen.

The small sprite eyed Matrix carefully. "Are you okay?" he asked uncertainly.

"Yeah, fine," he snapped. In a less agitated tone, he asked, "What did you find?"

Enzo shrugged. He pulled back the cloth, revealing a tiny gray face, eyes closed, thumb stuck in its mouth as it slept.

Enzo's eyes grew wide. "Pixelacious," he breathed. "A baby."

"How did it get here?" Matrix asked.

Enzo shrugged again. "Got me. I heard crying, so I went over to see. Then you came. Wait," he added, "I remember: there was a tear, over that way. It disappeared, though."

Matrix looked over his shoulder, but there was only air. He looked back at the sleeping baby, confused. There was no way it could have come from a tear that suddenly disappeared; at least, none that he was familiar with.

"Come on," Matrix said, "let's take it to the P.O."

"Y'all must really not want us ta leave," Mouse drawled as Enzo and Matrix entered the room, "the way yer takin' so long."

Dot approached the baby interestedly. "Where'd you find _that_?"

"At the docks," Enzo answered. "Where did it come from? Is it a boy or a girl?"

"Your guess is as good as mine," Dot admitted.

"Lemme see," Mouse said, taking the baby from Enzo. She peeked under the cloths and confirmed, "It's a girl. But she's got no PID, so we can't tell where she came from."

The baby had come awake, and she grinned toothlessly at Mouse.

"Yeah, yer such a cutie," the hacker cooed, smiling back. "Well," she addressed the others, "Ray n Ah'd better be goin'." She handed the baby to AndrAIa, and good-byes were about to be exchanged, when —

WARNING: INCOMING GAME. WARNING: INCOMING GAME.

Dot groaned. Bob laughed softly. Matrix muttered something. Enzo grinned. Mouse, for her part, spread her hands with an "I told you so" look.

Shaking his head, Bob declared, "The User must be Game-happy since the restart. Come on, guys."

AndrAIa handed the baby to Dot and started after Bob, when she stopped. "Aren't you coming, Enzo?" she asked Matrix.

He had a strange look on his face, and he shook his head hastily. "No thanks. I'm — I'm not feeling up to it."

"Are you all right?" AndrAIa asked worriedly. She thought, _Whether he likes it or not, Matrix _always_ goes into a Game — it's in his protocol._

"I told you — I'm fine. I'll join you next time. All right?"

AndrAIa nodded uncertainly, and she raced to catch up with Bob before the Game landed.

Just as the cube landed, a VidWindow opened, displaying none other than the face of Gavin Capacitor, riding in Mr. Mitchell's boat (generously lent until they found a new ship), towards Mainframe.

"Dot, m'lady, git ready," he called over the sounds of sloshing data. "Me and m'crew are nearing yer docks."

"We'll be there in a few milliseconds, Gavin," Dot replied. She shut the window and turned to Phong. "Phong, could you look after the baby?"

"Of course, my child," the old sprite replied. He took the baby and cradled her carefully, as she giggled and tugged on his beard.

The sprites set off for the Mainframe docks, where the pirates were due to appear.

Bob grinned at AndrAIa. "Looks like it's just us."

She nodded. "Let's do it."

Bob tapped his icon. "Reboot!" AndrAIa followed suit. 

When the green light cleared, Bob found himself standing in an office; AndrAIa was gone. As his senses returned to normal, he realized that a middle-aged game sprite was pacing in front of him, talking.

". . . That's why we do all these things — because it's Big Block of Cheese Day."

Bob shook his head. "`Scuse me?"

The game sprite stopped pacing and turned to Bob with an annoyed look on his face. "Josh, weren't you listening? You've been asking me all day, and I just explained Big Block of Cheese Day."

Bob stared blankly. The game sprite waved a hand in front of his face. "Welcome to Earth, Josh. It's me, Leo."

Bob blinked, finally understanding. "Oh, right, right, Leo. Sorry, I spaced out a bit."

"Whatever. Let's just get to the meeting," Leo said impatiently. "If you spend any more time spacing out' we'll be later than we already are."

Bob followed Leo to a large meeting room. Game sprites sat at a long wooden table, all holding folders and talking amongst themselves. Bob saw AndrAIa sitting in a chair, with glasses and wearing a gray business suit. He threaded his way through a cluster of people to reach her.

"Bob, there you are," AndrAIa whispered when he reached her. "Where have you been?"

"I don't know. I rebooted, and suddenly this Leo guy is telling me about a day dedicated to a big block of cheese."

AndrAIa snickered. "I appeared in this meeting room, talking to everyone."

"Any idea where exactly we are?"

AndrAIa shrugged. "I asked a couple people, but they stared at me like I'm random. I guess we're supposed to work here."

Bob grinned ruefully. "Not that we're doing a good job of it. Look, I can use my Glitch powers and figure out the stats —"

He was cut off as Leo called for silence. When everyone had quieted, Leo began.

"Andrew Jackson," he began, and everyone groaned, expecting his speech, "had a two-ton block of cheese. It was kept in the main level of the White House, where anyone could take some to eat, or for other uses." He went on to talk about some more history, and why on Big Block of Cheese Day the White House arranged meetings with small companies to discuss things they usually wouldn't have time for. Several game sprites announced the companies they were assigned to work with, and then the meeting ended.

Bob tried to follow AndrAIa out, but Leo caught him. "Not so fast, Josh. You can peek in on C.J.'s meeting with the Cartographers for National Equality Society later. There are some things Sam needs you to do."

Bob groaned, but followed, staying in character. As he followed Leo, he went over the Game statistics Glitch had located. _Okay, we're in the White House: the West Wing, to be exact, and the goal is to find the president by the end of Big Block of Cheese Day — what a basic name! Well, that shouldn't be too hard; all I've got to do is get to AndrAIa, and we can find this president._ He smiled and quickened his pace.

When he was able to, Bob stole away. By asking several game sprites, he was able to locate the room where AndrAIa was meeting with the Cartographers for National Equality Society. He arrived just as some intelligent-looking game sprites were setting up a large map.

"Did Leo get you again?" AndrAIa whispered as Bob slipped into the seat next to her.

He nodded. "Man, that guy is getting on my nerves. I did manage to get the Game stats; we need to find the president before the second is over. That should be easy; based on my knowledge of the User world, the president works in the White House, and we're in it."

"Show-off," AndrAIa murmured. She glanced at the game sprites setting up. "First, we need to get this over with."

"Ah, it'll be easy," Bob assured her, leaning back in his seat. "All we do is listen to these guys drone on about some map thing and say yes or no."

After being shown two "projections," though, Bob realized he was very wrong. Both he and AndrAIa became lost when the game sprites started babbling about the locations and sizes of unknown places called Greenland and Africa, as well as others. The two sprites stared at the maps presented, flabbergasted.

"Do you see Mainframe _anywhere_ on there?" Bob whispered to AndrAIa.

She shrugged helplessly. "Not at all."

"So, will you consider our offer?" the lead game sprite asked.

"Uh, yeah, sure," AndrAIa said, waving a hand. "Knock yourselves out." She and Bob nearly ran out of the room.

"No wonder this Big Block of Cheese Day only comes once an hour," he said.

AndrAIa nodded. "I couldn't bear listening to all that nonsense every second."

"Let's find the president," Bob decided.

"What if the president is the User?" AndrAIa countered.

"Then we're in trouble." Bob smiled at AndrAIa's eye-roll. "We better hope he isn't."

"Fine. What about if the User has a normal character?"

"We'll have to find him; but how? Everyone looks the same; even us."

AndrAIa shrugged. "Let's just get to the president before the User does."

Bob nodded. They started down a hallway, when a blond female game sprite appeared beside Bob.

"Josh," she said, "you have to come by Toby's meeting."

"Uh, later," Bob said, walking to one side.

The game sprite stepped in front of him, blocking any escape. "Josh, it's one day out of the year; just go. You'll be back soon; and besides, doesn't C.J. have a meeting to go to?"

AndrAIa traded a confused glance with Bob. "Let's get past her," she whispered.

The blond game sprite waited impatiently. "Well — Josh?"

Bob quickly pushed past her and he and AndrAIa walked briskly toward a group of people heading for another meeting.

"Josh, what's wrong with you? Come back!" the game sprite shouted. She ran after them, but the two quickly hid themselves in the crowd, and the woman gave up, shaking her head in confusion.

"That was close," Bob remarked. "Look!" The crowd had reached a door. They stood waiting, muttering about themselves. Listening carefully, AndrAIa was able to pick up "president." She looked through the window and saw a sprite talking with others.

"This is the place," she said to Bob.

"Great." He started for the doorway, but he heard a voice.

"Josh, what are you doing?"

Bob groaned. Leo stood next to AndrAIa, frowning.

"We need to see the president immediately," Bob said. "It's a matter of utmost importance."

Leo sighed and rolled his eyes. "Can't it wait? He just got out of a morning of meetings, and on his break he's talking to Sam."

Bob looked through the window. A character was entering the office. He glanced over his shoulder and smiled deviously at Bob.

"Spam, it's the User!" Bob hissed to AndrAIa.

Dot, Enzo, and Frisket stood at the docks, awaiting the pirates' arrival. A slight breeze blew past; but Dot shivered and hugged her arms around herself, as if the weather were frigid. For a moment, she thought she felt a presence beside her; but when she glanced to the side, the flash in her vision was gone.

A speck appeared in the distance, growing larger as it steadily approached. Soon, Mr. Mitchell's boat was close enough that they could see the pirates hanging over the edge, shouting and waving their cutlasses.

Just as the ship neared the dock, the sky darkened to a pure black. A ball of energy appeared in the sky. It condensed on itself, and suddenly a bolt of energy seared through the sky. Dot started to scream a warning. The energy pierced the data, sending waves of electricity sizzling across the surface. They struck Mr. Mitchell's boat, causing it to lurch violently. The waves tore across the boat, ripping it to pieces. Binomes screamed as they were electrocuted. The boat descended into the data with a mighty splash, sending the crew into the data, some unconscious, others not.

The electric waves continued across the city, heading for the Principle Office.

Three CPUs, two Ones and a Zero binome, stood guarding the Mainframe Archive doors and sharing a snack of donuts as they talked. Suddenly, the Zero went rigid with alarm, able only to point ahead of them. The two Ones looked over and dropped their food; speeding toward them was a deadly wave of electricity.

The CPUs jumped up; one pounded the alarm and shouted, "Run!" They sprinted away just before the wave reached them and blasted into the Archives.

Inside the grotto of information, energy exploded, causing VidWindows to crash to the ground. Their cracked screens flickered before going black. The entire room echoed with the roar and din of collapsing windows. Then the power was cut.

The energy traveled onward, racing through the city and deleting power, until it struck the mighty purple cube in G Prime.

Everyone in the White House fell to their knees as the building shook, and lights flickered rapidly.

"What the _hell _was that?" Leo shouted. He ran to another game sprite, demanding information. "I _said_, what happened?"

"I — I don't know, sir," the game sprite stammered. "Maybe it was an earthquake, or . . ."

The User, as Sam, ignored the people milling around the office, and pushed his way through. Bob grabbed AndrAIa's hand as they raced after the User.

They burst through the doors. The User was running toward the president, but another wave rocked the White House, and everyone fell again. The User found himself wedged under a table, and Bob was stuck, too.

AndrAIa regained her balance and raced ahead to the president, who was gripping a chair for balance, his dark gray hair astray. She tapped him on the shoulder. "Mr. President?"

He turned around. Green eyes studied AndrAIa before a smile broke out on his ocher-colored face. "Hey, Andi! You haven't changed a bit!"

"_Kode_?"

GAME OVER.

Enzo wriggled out of Dot's arms; she had tried to shield him in the energy blast. He ran to the edge of the dock with Frisket trotting behind him. Dot followed him, and they viewed the wreckage of Mr. Mitchell's boat, slowly sinking. The pirates floundered in the data, cursing and shouting to one another.

Already, several citizens had come to the docks. Mr. Mitchell ran toward his ruined boat and fell to his knees. "My pride, my joy," he moaned.

Dot shot him an irritated look. "We need someone to get the pirates out of the sea," she called. Soon, CPUs came in answer and in milliseconds the pirates had been hauled out of the data and were lying on the docks.

"Gavin, are you all right?" Dot asked, bending down by the Crimson Binome.

"Aye, m'lady," he said, clapping a hand against his chest to dislodge the data. He looked to the ruin of Mr. Mitchell's boat and declared, "Never in all the days I've sailed the two seas have I witnessed such a storm! How's me crew?"

"They're fine," Dot assured him. She pulled out her organizer and dialed the number for the Principle Office, but the screen showed nothing. Dot tapped it, but no image appeared. She looked up and gasped. Mainframe was pitch black; not a single light illuminated the buildings.

In G Prime, the Game flickered violently, then suddenly it condensed, as the System Voice announced:

GAME OVER.

The cube rose into the sky.

Do turned back to the assembled Mainframers. "Everyone, into the Principle Office," she ordered. "We'll try to get the power back and plan from there."

CPUs began to herd the citizens to the Principle Office. Then went the pirates, and Enzo and Dot followed last.

Bob turned to AndrAIa, confused. "Excuse me? Who's Kode, and how do you know him?"

"I'm Kode," the strange, orange-skinned sprite said, stepping forward. "And to answer your question, I knew AndrAIa and Enzo in the Games."

"We game-hopped for a few minutes," AndrAIa supplied. That wasn't the exact truth; actually, Kode had been a bit of a nerd who had followed the two sprites into the Games, where they had been forced to let him stay.

Now AndrAIa shook her head in amazement. "I don't believe it. Of all the Games, and all the systems. . . ."

Kode nodded. "I know." He turned to Bob, dark gray eyebrows raised. "Who're you?"

"Guardian 452 of Mainframe," he replied stiffly.

Kode nodded again, a small smirk on his face. "Right, you're the one Daemon was after. I've had a few run-ins with her goons myself."

"We can talk in the Principle Office," Bob said tensely. He didn't trust the new visitor. He glanced across the city, and his expression clouded. "What the Net — look!"

AndrAIa and Kode followed his gaze and noticed the darkened buildings.

Bob pursed his lips. "Let's go," he said simply. When they realized that Kode had no zipboard, Bob constructed a small portal (Kode nodded in approval), and they stepped through it.

Dot stood in the Principle Office hall with Phong, Enzo, and Matrix. Mouse and Ray were working to get the power back.

As Bob walked in through the doorway followed by the others, Dot ran to him. "Thank the Net you're all right!" she cried, hugging him.

"We're fine," the Guardian assured her. "We just experienced a slight jolt in the Game."

Matrix went to embrace AndrAIa; but when he saw the visitor, a hard look came over his face, and one hand drifted to Gun's handle. "Who is that?"

"Enzo, do you remember Kode?" AndrAIa asked. "From the Games?"

"I'm sure he hasn't forgotten," Kode said. He slipped past AndrAIa with practiced ease. Grinning broadly, he offered one hand to Matrix, who looked shocked and surprised at the sprite's attitude. Reluctantly, the renegade shook Kode's hand. "Hey, Enzo. You sure look different since I saw you."

"It's Matrix," he muttered tightly.

"AndrAIa calls you Enzo."

"Yeah, and she's the only one who can."

"Oh, I see; you two still have that puppy love thing going," Kode said; his voice held an unmistakable bitter taunt.

Matrix released his hand and stepped back, his face still stony. Enzo looked from his older self to Kode and back interestedly; at his side, Frisket growled viciously at the newcomer. Kode glared at the dog; and Enzo could have sworn his green eyes flashed.

The tension hung in the air for nearly a millisecond.

Finally, AndrAIa cleared her throat. "Dot, Matrix and I still need to find a place to live; and now it looks like Kode does, too."

"Right, AndrAIa." Dot frowned. "The only question is where?"

"Well," Bob spoke up, "they all could stay at my place."

Dot raised an eyebrow. "Your apartment?"

Bob shrugged. "Sure. AndrAIa and Matrix can have my room, and Kode can have the guestroom. How does that sound?"

"Fine," Matrix said. "But where will you stay?"

Bob grinned. "If your sister would permit me, I could take up temporary residence at the Diner?" he asked, speaking to Dot now.

She flushed a darker color. "Sure, Bob. There's a guest room at the Diner."

AndrAIa grinned and gave her a congratulating look, making Dot blush more.

"`Re y'all ready in there?" Mouse called from the other room. Suddenly, the lights snapped on. Mouse and Ray walked into the hall, looking extremely satisfied.

"Hey, Mouse; you got the lights back," Bob congratulated her.

She winked at him. "Never expect the Mouse to fail a job." When she saw Kode, "And who is that?"

More introductions were made. As the second began to fade into downtime, lights flickered back on inside the numerous buildings of system Mainframe.

At Bob's apartment, Matrix finished setting up the small bed in one of the rooms.

AndrAIa grinned. "One bed?" She walked over to Matrix and placed her arms around his neck. "Sure you won't mind?"

He wrapped his arms around her and stared into her eyes. "I think things will be fine," he murmured with a small smile.

AndrAIa grinned and leaned up to kiss him when they heard a noise behind them.

"Excuse me," Kode quipped from the doorway, "I hope I'm not disturbing anything."

"It's all right," AndrAIa said, pulling away from Matrix to stand by Kode. "Do you have everything you need?"

"Yeah." With a glance at Matrix, Kode added, "Sleep well, Andi." He turned and left.

Matrix crossed his arms over his chest and watched the orange sprite go, making a low sound in his throat. AndrAIa came over and placed a hand under his chin, making him look at her. "It's not his fault he ended up in Mainframe," she said.

"I'm sure," Matrix muttered.

"Enzo," AndrAIa admonished him slightly. "I know you're jealous," she said with a smile. "Remember, Enzo: a long time ago, I chose _you_."

Matrix nodded, and half of his mouth turned up in a smile. He pulled AndrAIa back into his arms and kissed her for a long time. She wrapped her arms around his neck and returned the kiss.

They broke away and nuzzled noses, gazing adoringly at one another. "You know," AndrAIa whispered huskily, "it's just us now; we're completely alone."

Matrix smiled slowly and kissed her again, for a longer period. AndrAIa leaned in closer to him, and they rested against the wall, in a deep embrace.

An orange hand still rested on the door, and green eyes flashed as the sprite watched the two lovers. With a soft growl, Kode shut the door, turned on his heel, and strode back to his room.

Bob sat down on the couch next to Dot. She snuggled up to him, laying her head on his shoulder. They sat quietly, watching the last embers from the fire.

"You must think you're pretty smooth, planning that," Dot whispered. "Admit it, Bob — you were planning to give Matrix and AndrAIa the apartment anyway, weren't you?"

"I can't get anything past you," he chuckled, stroking her dark hair. "You're not angry?"

"No. . . . Actually, I'm glad we could get some private time . . ." Dot murmured, her violet eyes sparkling mischievously. She wrapped her arms around Bob's neck and kissed him deeply. When the kiss ended, Dot settled her head back on his shoulder, and Bob wrapped his arm around her waist.

Enzo tiptoed into the living room. Dot heard him, though, and lifted her head. "Hey, Little Brother, what do you need?"

"Can I sit with you guys?" Enzo asked haltingly. When they nodded, he jumped on the couch, making Dot laugh. Enzo sat between her and Bob as Dot stroked his hair and smiled at Bob over his head.

Enzo grinned at the couple. "This is how I always thought it should be," he said softly, his voice uncharacteristically solemn. "Back when you two would _never_ admit you liked each other, I always wanted us to be a big family. Bob, can you stay forever?" he added, breaking back into his childish mood.

The Guardian laughed. "Well, it's up to your sister," he said, leaning over and kissing Dot on the nose. "But I'd love to."

Enzo looked at his sister expectantly. "Dot?"

"I'll think about it," she laughed. "Now, it's time for a little sprite to get some sleep."

"Aww, do I have to?" Enzo whined. "This is so much more fun."

"Tell you what, if I have time, I'll go circuit racing with you tomorrow," Bob said. "How does that sound?"

"Alphanumeric!" Enzo shouted. He jumped off the couch and started for his room, then stopped. "Bob?"

"Yeah, Little Man?"

"Could you tuck me in?"

"Sure," Bob smiled. He got off the couch; Dot caught his hand and smiled at him. "Thank you," she whispered.

Bob shook his head. "It's no problem. Come on, Enzo." He picked up the not-even-ten-hour-old and carried him to his room.

Dot sighed and settled back against the couch. Five milliseconds later, Bob rejoined her.

Dot turned and gazed lovingly at Bob. "I'm so glad you came back."

Bob stroked her cheek with his finger. "Nothing could keep me from you."

Dot pulled him to her for a soft kiss. When they broke away, she rested her head on his shoulder again and closed her eyes, reveling in the peace.


	3. 2: Discoveries

CHAPTER TWO

DISCOVERIES

"Remind me why we're here?" Matrix growled ill temper plain. He rubbed the sleep out of his eyes and leaned against the wall next to AndrAIa. Ray stood next to her; Bob and Dot stood in the center of the War Room with Phong, and Mouse occupied a small console.

"We're here to plan against Daemon," Dot reminded her brother.

"And how do you propose to do that?" Matrix retorted. "We just found out she was roaming the Net. We have no information, no sources —"

"You could be a bit more encouraging," Dot snapped quietly.

Matrix pounded a huge fist on the table. "We have no idea what in the Web she even _looks_ like! How do you plan to fight her if we haven't ever seen her? If you have some great strategic plan, feel free to enlighten me!"

AndrAIa grasped his shoulder firmly. "Enzo."

Reluctantly, Matrix fell quiet; but the atmosphere in the room changed considerably, because everyone knew he was right.

Dot took a deep breath and tried to feel calm. They were all so tense these seconds, and Matrix's outburst, though understandable, just proved how the stress of the war was getting to them. Taking another breath, she spoke again. "The most logical place to start is the Supercomputer." She looked to Bob. "Daemon would have infected it first?"

He nodded. "If we can find the Prime Guardian, Turbo, we'd be able to get a lot more information on Daemon."

"I don't know, Bob . . ." Dot said. "Turbo _did_ agree to have Mainframe destroyed at one time."

"He's on our side," Matrix spoke up, "or at least, he was last time I saw him." The others nodded, remembering how he and AndrAIa had related their time in that system. "He told me he would be fighting the Infection; I don't think it's got him yet. I say, let's contact him."

"Already on it," Mouse spoke up from her seat. She adjusted a headset and punched in some numbers, then waited for a reception. When she noticed the others looking at her, she said, "It's not gonna happen in a nano, y'know; Ah'll tell you when Ah get in."

Dot began accessing information on her organizer. "Mainframe is no match for Daemon, not immediately after the restart. We're going to need allies; the only question is who outside of Mainframe can we trust?"

No one had an answer. Dot glanced at Mouse, still adjusting the knobs on the console for a message. She shook her head dejectedly.

"We're not doing any good sitting around waiting for things," Bob announced. He smiled, but it was grim. "I hate to go against my persona, but we need to develop a sure-fire plan if we want a chance in this war."

"Well said, Bob," AndrAIa said.

Phong spoke up. "There must be some information on viruses past in the Read Only Room. Perhaps someone could help me search?"

"I will, Phong," Bob volunteered. "I'll see you later," he told Dot.

"Don't be too late," she pleaded, giving him a short kiss.

Bob followed Phong into the Read Only Room. Dot turned back to the remaining sprites. "Anything, Mouse?"

"No," the hacker snapped, not angry at Dot but frustrated with herself and the communications. "Daemon has all comm. systems stuck. Ah can't get in, and Ah doubt anythin' can get out."

Dot sighed. To Matrix and AndrAIa she said, "You two don't have to stay. Maybe you — and Kode — could think of some systems you know that would be able to fight against Daemon?"

  
They nodded and left.

"Ah got somethin'!" Mouse called excitedly.

Dot rushed over. "What?"

Mouse strained to listen, and she studied the screen confusedly. "It's not in the Supercomputer; it's right here in Mainframe. There's something located — far, far away from the city. Ah can't tell what it is." She set down the headset and turned to Dot. "Ah'm gonna stay awhile and try ta figure out what it is."  
  
"I'll stay with you," Ray Tracer offered. He propped up his Baud and took a seat.

"All right. Tell me tomorrow what you see," Dot said. She glanced at her watch. "Time to pick Enzo up from school." She pulled out her zip-board and left.

In the Read Only Room, Phong turned to Bob. "Tell me, Guardian; how many viruses have you fought in your lifetime?"

Bob grinned a little guiltily. "Not many. There weren't many viruses in the Supercomputer for all the Guardians to fight, and Mainframe was the first and only system I went to after the Academy."

Phong nodded. "I remember when the Twin City flourished, before Megabyte and Hexadecimal." He frowned, a faraway look in his eyes. "Things were aloof then; I have always wondered if another virus had taken control."

"I never detected one," Bob put in.

"Ah, my son, but you arrived several hours after the explosion. Megabyte and Hexadecimal were the only viruses at the time of your arrival. I am sure of that."

Bob nodded and returned to the VidWindow. He clicked various links for viruses, but each time he came up with nothing. "I hate to say it, Phong, but this is getting us nowhere."

The old sprite nodded. "Unfortunately, it may take a long time and many vain searches before we find any information about Daemon."

Bob clicked another link, and a small disk popped out of the window. "Hey, what's this?"

Phong took the disk and studied it carefully. "It is very old, to be sure. It seems to be a log. It must be from sometime in Mainframe's past."

"Maybe it could help us?" Bob suggested.

"Maybe." Phong sighed. "It may be too old for use, though. We will try it later."

Bob groaned under his breath. The fruitless search continued.

It was late that second. All the citizens of Mainframe had gone to bed, except for two sprites in the Principle Office.

Ray Tracer sighed and glanced again at the glowing screen. "I don't get it, love. What exactly did you find? I can't tell, with all those lines and numbers."

"You're a Web Surfr; you wouldn't," came the sour reply. "Ah know it's there; there's energy, a lot of it. It's just too far away to make it out."

"Then what are we doing here? We could get on my Baud and zip over there in less than a micro. It'd be more productive than staring at the screen."

"Ah've almost got it," Mouse said. "The scanners need to be powered up enough to locate the energy." She glanced at the half-filled bar representing the power-up, and smacked the machine with her hand. "Basic hunk of junk," she muttered, and rubbed her eyes. She adjusted the headset and listened.

Ray chuckled and leaned against the wall. His eyes began to fall shut, and he found himself dozing lightly.

"There!" 

The shout made Ray stand bolt upright. "What?" he muttered with a yawn.

Mouse pointed excitedly at the screen; the headset lay lopsided on her hair. Ray looked to the screen, and his mouth dropped open in surprise. On the screen was a clearly detailed map of a city.

"What in the Net . . .?" he wondered aloud.

"That's what Ah'd like to know," Mouse said. "We've got to tell Dot. Maybe it's a lost sector, or a whole system."

"We will tell her," Ray said. "Tomorrow. Now, _you_ need some sleep." He nearly picked Mouse up and flew away with the two of them on his Baud. Mouse protested, saying she could stand upright, and she did, but let Ray put his arms around her.

He toyed with a strand of glowing red hair. "What an amazing sprite you are," he murmured, and leaned down to kiss her.

Mouse smiled sleepily. She leaned into his arms until they reached their destination, Ship. Mouse opened the door, then stopped when she saw Ray standing. "Hey, Mr. Tracer, why don't ya come inside? It'd be a lot cozier than that board."

He raised an eyebrow. "Pretty forward, aren't you?"

Mouse grinned, showing her fangs. "Forward is an understatement, Ah've been told." She grabbed Ray's arm and pulled him and his Baud inside.

The next second, Mouse barged into Dot's office, eager to tell her of her find.

"Dot, you won't believe what's out there," she said with a grin.

Dot raised both eyebrows. "What?"

Mouse leaned over the desk, her eyes bright. "A city."

Dot suddenly went pale, and it took her a few nanos to find her voice. "Excuse me? A _city_?"

"That's what it looked like. It took me all night, and the scanners finally located it; it's across the data sea, but within Mainframe's address that it probably couldn't be noticed from the Web or the Net. Why; do you know what it is?"

"I think I do," Dot said softly. She looked up at Mouse. "It sounds just like the Twin City, where Enzo and I lived before it was destroyed."

"Well, then you've got to go and see," Mouse urged.

Dot nodded, but she looked unsure. "I — I just don't want to get my hopes up, if it turns out to be wrong."

"You'll never know if you don't try."

"I'm sure that's what Bob would say," Dot laughed. "All right. I'll get the Enzos."

Since the pirates were still searching for a new ship, Mouse loaned the Matrixes Ship. Before they left, though, she checked over everything.

"Are you sure y'all be able ta pilot her safely?"

Dot smirked. "If you haven't forgotten, I saved your ASCII once. We won't have any trouble."

"Come on," Enzo urged from inside Ship. "Let's get going already!"

Bob hugged Dot quickly. "I'm sure it'll be fine," he murmured.

"I hope," she replied.

AndrAIa gave Matrix a kiss on the cheek, and then he boarded Ship with Dot and Enzo. Ship's engines glowed blue then it lifted off across the data sea.

AndrAIa came over to stand by Bob. He glanced at the game sprite. "I'm surprised you didn't go," he said.

AndrAIa smiled a little sadly and shook her head. "No. This is something the three of them need to experience on their own."

Bob nodded. His gaze followed the retreating figure of Ship until it disappeared in the distance. He turned around and began to walk back to the Principle Office, AndrAIa following.

"What was life like in the Twin City like?" Enzo asked from his seat in the back of Ship.

Matrix took the controls from Dot so she could sit next to Enzo and answer his question. "You were too little to remember; both of you. The Twin City was a city among itself. It was connected to Mainframe by a bridge, and it was much more populated than Mainframe." She frowned as she tried to describe the city so that her younger brother would understand. "Mainframe was the main system, and the Twin City was a part of it, though it acted like its own system. 

"We moved there when you were 0.2, and I was 2.0. Mom started the Diner business in Baudway, while Dad began experiments in the City, mainly turning nulls back into sprites. You and I had a lot of friends, and —" Dot broke off for a moment, as a tear trickled down her cheek. She breathed deeply before continuing, "Phong was Command.com back then, and he took care of us for a while."

"How come?" Enzo put in.

Dot swallowed several times, as if trying to figure how to tell him. "Mom deleted a few hours after we moved, and Dad became kind of distant." She shrugged neutrally. "The next hour, the Twin City was destroyed."

"What did the city look like?" Enzo asked.

Dot frowned, trying to bring the memory to mind. "There were a lot of houses. All the roads led to one big building, called the . . . the Center. That was where Dad worked. It was their Principle Office. I remember going there every second. The Center was right in the middle of the city; it was huge, with ten floors —"

"Look!" Enzo interrupted, pointing past Dot's shoulder. She turned around and had to grab the seat for support. "Oh, Web. . . ."

Ahead loomed a building fit to the exact description Dot had given. It rose from the sector, dwarfing the other homes. All gleamed in the sunlight as if newly built. Neatly paved roads ran from each house to the Center, as Dot had said. Sprites walked those roads, following them to the Center; just like Dot remembered it from so many hours ago.

"It's — it's the Twin City," she whispered, her throat constricting so tight she could barely speak.

Matrix piloted Ship down to the docks at the edge of the sector that led to the data sea. The nano they touched down, Enzo sprung out of his seat and ran to the hatchway. Dot followed, then Matrix.

The hatch slid open with a hiss, and they came out and began walking slowly down the street. All around them, doors of homes were opening, and sprites looked out at the three that had just arrived.

"Hey, it's the Matrixes!" someone called. A few sprites stared in surprise, but others called out their own greetings. 

"Hey, guys, where have you been?"

"Welcome back to the City!" 

Sprites had come out of their homes and were waving to the three. Dot shakily waved back while she stared around with her brothers.

A young woman appeared in front of them. Her skin was periwinkle blue, and her hair, a dark peach color, was so short it barely brushed her chin. She was smiling broadly. "Dot?"

Dot had to find her voice. "Del!"

Her best friend hugged Dot tightly. She pulled back and shouted, "It's really you! I don't believe it! Thank the User!"

Dot smiled at Del's hyperactivity. "Yeah," she replied softly. "Thank the User."

Del looked behind Dot's shoulder at her two brothers, who had hung back. She smiled at Enzo. "Enzo Matrix, is that you? Don't you remember your Auntie Del? Dot and I used to baby-sit you."

"Not really," Enzo answered.

Del shrugged. "That's right. You were too little to remember. Look at you now; you've really grown up. And who is --?" She glanced up at Matrix and stopped in mid-sentence.

"That's Enzo," Dot answered. "There's two of him now."

Del gasped. Her gaze traveled from Enzo to Matrix, as she realized the relation. She gazed at Matrix, one eyebrow raised. "Enzo?"

"It's Matrix," he muttered.

Del whistled softly. "You sure turned out good."

Enzo snickered, and Dot rolled her eyes at her still boy-crazy best friend. Matrix, for his part, shifted uncomfortably under Del's stare.

Finally, Del turned back to Dot. "You have got to see the rest of the city!" she gasped. "Everyone will love to see you, and I'm sure you've forgotten everything by now. . . ." She started to lead Dot off. 

Enzo and Matrix had no choice but to follow. The little sprite was still laughing. Throwing his hands up in the air in an exaggeration, he gushed, "Oh, Enzo, you sure turned out good!" and fell into a fit of laughter.

"Just you wait," Matrix muttered in good humor, "until someone who thinks _you're_ cute comes prancing up."

Enzo immediately quieted, and Matrix chuckled softly to himself for getting his counterpart to be quiet.

Dot was awed to see the Twin City just as she remembered it; and Enzo and Matrix found the sights amazing, having no memory of their early home.

Del led them through the city, chattering wildly with Dot and stopping every once in a while to introduce them to other citizens. They followed Del through the neighborhoods, until they arrived at a large building, looming far higher than the others.

"Remember the Center?" Del asked. Before they could reply, she grabbed Dot's hand and said, "Come on! You've got to see you dad!"

__

Dad . . . The word had never seemed so wonderful for them.

They ran after Del, up a few flights of stairs, until they reached a hall of white doors. Dot slowed her pace, feeling her legs tremble at the memories. Enzo ran ahead and held Dot's hand tightly, his small face showing a scared expression. Matrix held Dot's other hand; his face was hard, but he too was tense and scared. Knowing she had to be the older sister, Dot smiled at her brothers. "It's fine," she assured them, her voice calm.

Del stopped at the last door on left side of the hallway. A silver plaque read _Dr. Welman Matrix — Null Restoration_. Del pushed the door open, and beckoned the three inside. They saw a white-clad figure hunched over a table, deep in concentration.

"Hey, Mr. M," Del called.

"Hello, Del," Welman called without looking away from his experiment. It struck his children how much he and Dot shared the deep concentration for work. "Please wait until I finish the experiment."

"Mr. M, I think you'll want to see this now," Del said, barely able to control her excitement. "It's a surprise I'm sure you'll like."

Welman sighed and straightened up. "I'm not sure about that," he murmured, washing his hands in a nearby sink. "I don't really like surprises. . . ." He turned, waiting.

"Dad!" Enzo shouted, running at Welman. He bowled over his father, who stared in surprise at his son.

"Enzo?" he gasped. He picked up his son and spun him around, then hugged the boy tightly. "I've missed you — but _how_?"

Dot stepped forward. "Hi, Dad," she whispered.

"You too, Dot?"

"It's a long story," she replied, her voice shaking.

Welman stood up and hugged both Enzo and Dot tightly. "I can't believe you two are here–I–" He smiled, stunned into speechlessness.

Dot glanced over her shoulder at Matrix, who stood off to the side. She nodded at him, and he carefully approached them. When Welman saw him, his eyes widened. "Who are —" He hurriedly adjusted his glasses and stared hard at the youth. "Enzo, is that you — er, too?" Matrix nodded. 

"Come here, son." Welman hugged his other son tightly. Matrix swallowed, and a few tears appeared in his good eye.

"How did this happen?" Welman asked when the embraces were over. He shed his lab coat and led the four through another door, to a small living room. He made himself a small energy shake and sat on a chair, sipping his drink's contents. "Tell me everything."

Dot did most of the talking, because she remembered the most information. When she reached the explanation of the war with Megabyte and Hexadecimal, she let Matrix take over about his life in the Games. Dot finished up with the system restart, the few events that had occurred since then, and Mouse's discovery of the Twin City. Enzo listened in the same awed attitude as Del and Welman, for he had never heard the full story of everything he had missed.

When the story was finished, Welman shook his head. He stood up to refill his cup, still shaking his head and digesting the information. 

"How did the City come back?" Matrix asked. "Was it the restart?"

"When did the restart occur?" Welman asked in reply as he sat back down.

"One and a half minutes ago," Dot answered.

Their father thought for a nano. Then he shook his head. "No. You see, it was as if we all — what's the right word — as if we all awakened just the other second." He leaned forward, his arms on his knees and his chin in his hand as he thought. "When the explosion occurred, the Twin City was destroyed, but all of the living citizens were also frozen, I think. Frozen in time — that must be it. Now, that surge you told me about . . . I think that somehow the power of the surge reached all the way across to us and brought us back to life." Dot, Enzo, and Matrix stared in wonder at the awesome story.

Welman continued, "That's amazing, that we were brought back, but also because no one here has aged a second. You all are about four hours older than you were here — except Matrix — but for us no time has passed." Welman smiled bemusedly. "Has it really been four hours?" His children nodded.

They shared five silent milliseconds, staring at one another; from the tall, pine-skinned scientist to his three children: the grown-up businesswoman, the hardened adult, and the boy reborn, already nine hours old.

"Are you still at your experiments?" Dot asked, nodding toward the other room.

Welman nodded, sighing ruefully. "Still on null restoration. Those little slugs won't let me near them to do enough of an experiment. Plus, there are only a few in the City; though I guess I should be thankful."

Two nulls slithered from the open lab door into the living room. Welman jumped up. "Would you believe it," he murmured, but made no move.

"Why don't you catch them?" Dot asked in confusion.

Welman shook his head at the two nulls, a chocolate-and-vanilla-striped one and a red and black one. "Those two are pretty fickle. But they always come back; don't you?"

The red and black null gave a screech, like it understood Welman. Then it and its friend continued on their way.

"Can we meet everyone else?" Enzo asked. "And what about Mom?"

Welman glanced at Del, who shared his somber expression. A steel-like cold had settled over the room. "I'm sorry, Enzo. The — surge, was it? — brought us back, but Cora was not among us."

Dot gasped quietly, her eyes filling involuntarily with tears. Enzo looked embarrassed for asking his question.

"She would be proud of you, all of you," Welman said quietly. "I'll bet she's watching over us right now."

"Have you guys been living in Mainframe for all this time?" Del asked, effectively changing the subject.

Dot looked at her friend. "Yes. Enzo and I have been living below the Diner." She bit her lip as she was reminded of her late mother's business. "Matrix and his girlfriend AndrAIa just recently moved into Bob's apartment in Kits Sector."

Del raised a dark eyebrow. "Who's Bob?"

Dot flushed slightly. "He's — the Guardian of our system. He came a few hours after the — explosion."

At the mention of "Guardian," Del perked up. She glanced at Welman, and it seemed to Dot that they shared a short, silent conversation. Del looked back at Dot. "I'd love to meet the Guardian; and AndrAIa?"

Dot nodded. "Yes. We've had a lot of new citizens since the explosion."

"Then what are you waiting for?" Del asked. "Come on, let's go to Mainframe!"

As they went through the doorway, Del and Welman shared another glance. Dot couldn't help but think with unease that her father was more comfortable with her friend than her.

Del and Welman led them through the Twin City without stopping to talk to anyone; Welman assured them they'd have time for that later. When they reached the docks, a young man was inspecting Ship with an appraising eye. He glanced up when they approached. "Are you the captain of this ship?" he asked Dot, then his eyes opened wide. "Dot?"

She grinned, though she suddenly felt a rush of a feeling from long ago. "Hey, Harm."

Harmean Offset whistled. "It's been a while, hasn't it, Dot?" He was a handsome sprite for his age of 2.7, lean, with pale silver skin, deep brown eyes, and dark gold hair tied back. Dot remembered how she and Del had had heated fights over him so many hours ago.

"It has," she returned with a smile.

"Look at you," Harm murmured. "And your brother — er, brothers. . . . So, what joyride are you all going on in this fine ship?"

"It's my friend's," Dot explained. "And in her words, you touch it and you're deleted.' Actually, we're going back to Mainframe."

"Can I come?"

Dot looked to Welman, who nodded. "Your choice, honey. It's your home we're visiting."

Dot looked to Harm and nodded.

He grinned. "Alphanumeric. I've never seen the other system up close before."

They boarded Ship and prepared for liftoff. When Harm noticed Enzo — and Matrix — staring at him, he grinned. "Your first word," he told Enzo, "you learned from me," pointing a finger at his chest.

The ride back to Mainframe was short, but when they came in sight of the Principle Office, Del began jumping up and down with excitement. Dot landed Ship at the docks, and the six sprites walked out.

Welman looked around in interest at the surrounding sectors. Far away, a large apartment building rose from one sector; that was Kits. Dot's Diner was visible from Baudway. He identified a few more sectors. He was especially interested by the twisted tower jutting up from Lost Angles, the small island located on the edge of one of the sectors.

He looked to the crowd that had gathered before them. At its head stood six sprites. The only sprite he recognized was Phong, looking older and wiser than ever. The other five — three men and two women — weren't Mainframers. Welman's eyes narrowed. They were outsiders — and outsiders should never be welcome in their system.

"This is my father, Welman Matrix," Dot explained to the sprites, "my best friend, Del, and Harm. They're all from the Twin CIty." She went on to introduce Guardian Bob, AndrAIa, Kode, Mouse, and Ray Tracer.

Welman shook Phong's hand warmly. "It's good to see you, old friend," he said. He went on to shake the others' hands a little more coolly. 

"Hello," he greeted Bob and AndrAIa in a cold, brisk manner. "I see you two have known my children? For a long time?"

They nodded, a little surprised.

Del enthusiastically greeted Phong; then she shook each person's hand for a short moment, with a quick "Hi." Harm was the same.

"Hi," he greeted Mouse with a small smile that failed to be sincere. "Hi," he said to Ray in the exact same manner.

"Mate, I was wondering —" the Surfr started to ask, but Harm went on to the next sprite as if he hadn't heard Ray.

"May I see the baby?" Del asked Ray, who had the job of holding her for that micro. He happily handed her over, and Del studied the baby carefully. Suddenly, she gasped and nearly dropped the child.

Ray took the baby back, grunting a little. "She's getting heavier every second," he groaned, and passed her on to AndrAIa.

Mouse rolled her eyes. "Big baby."

"Will you be staying here?" Phong asked.

Del shrugged. "Dunno. I guess we could stay for the night."

"Looks like I'll have to stay at your place again," Bob whispered to Dot, raising his eyebrows. She elbowed him in the ribs.

Del overheard. "If any of you need a place to live, at least for a few seconds, there are tons of places in the Twin City."

Dot smiled gratefully at her friend, but Bob shook his head. "I'm fine."

"We could use a place to live," Matrix put in, nodding to AndrAIa. "No offense, Bob."

Bob shook his head.

"I know the perfect place for you," Del gushed. "You'll love it. I can show you tomorrow."

Matrix smiled a little. "Thanks, Del. AndrAIa will be thrilled." He glanced at his love, who was cradling the baby and cooing softly to her.

Del's smile slipped off her face. "AndrAIa?"

"AndrAIa — over there. You just met her."

"I thought it was just you," Del said. "I mean, it is _your_ home. Never mind, it's fine," she added quickly, her smile and her voice falsely bright. "We have tons of two-room places as well."

Matrix took Del aside. "Look, what problem do you have with AndrAIa?" he asked bluntly.

"No problem," she answered in that false voice.

"Del?" Dot called from the group. "Can you come over here?"

"Coming," she called. Del looked back at Matrix. "See you tomorrow, Enzo." Without another word, she turned and walked back to the others.

AndrAIa came over, still carrying the baby. "Can you take the baby, Enzo?"

He started to protest, but AndrAIa put the baby into his arms. "Just for a nano. So, how was it at the Twin City?" she asked.

"It was . . . interesting," he answered. When AndrAIa raised an eyebrow, he said, "I'm — I'm glad that we finally found it."

AndrAIa smiled tenderly at him. "You all must be really happy." She looked at the baby. "Is it me, or does she look older? And your friends from the Twin City didn't look to happy to see a baby."

The baby, wearing a small dress, was sitting watching those from the Twin City with an interested look in her black eyes. Matrix and AndrAIa followed her gaze and saw Welman watching her with a look of confusion and irritation. There was something else there, too — something almost like fear.

Quickly, Welman strode over to them. "Matrix. AndrAIa," he said, nodding. His gaze was fixed intensely on the baby, who stared back with a toothless smile.

"Whose child is she?" Welman asked, his voice dangerously low. "Dot's? _Yours_?" His words were like barbs.

Matrix frowned. So did AndrAIa; then a nano later, it lifted, and she laughed. "No, Dr. Matrix, not at all! She doesn't belong to any of us — actually, your son, Enzo, found her a little while ago. We have no idea where she came from."

Welman's brows furrowed together tightly. "I see," he said coldly, and he turned and abruptly walked away. The two sprites watched him go, trading perplexed looks.

Once out of earshot of the Mainframe sprites, Welman took Del aside. "It's worse than we thought," he whispered. He looked back at the baby. "One of them that's been missing — she's here. But the question is, how?"

"I don't know," Del replied. Together, she and Welman studied the other sprites suspiciously.

Dot frowned, watching her father and her best friend.

"Wonder what's wrong with them," Bob commented from her side.

"I don't know," Dot whispered. "But I wish I did."


	4. Discoveries, PART 2

CHAPTER TWO 

DISCOVERIES, PART 2

"Now — exactly _how_ did the City come back?" Bob asked, leaning back against the couch next to Dot. Enzo was asleep, and Bob was staying at the Diner for another night.

"My head's still spinning," she confessed. "But Dad told us: when the Twin City was destroyed, the people were frozen, too. The surge from the other second — that destroyed the Archives — seems to have thawed them out."

Bob thought for a few moments. "I guess that's possible," he said, though his expression was still clouded. "But what about the location? You told me that the Twin City used to be where Lost Angles is now. How come the City came back in the wrong place?"

Dot sighed and shook her head. "I don't know, Bob." Her voice grew softer. "I'm just glad my family is back. . . ." A tear slid down her cheek.

"Hey, it's okay," Bob soothed, brushing the tear away with his thumb. "You've got your home and your family here."

"And you," Dot replied, laying her head on his shoulder. "It's so wonderful," she whispered, closing her eyes.

Bob wrapped his arm around her and kissed her hair, as they sat in happy silence.

Mouse walked into the War Room. "Well, Ah've almost done it," she announced with a grin. "The Archives aren't up an' running yet, but Ah was able ta salvage a couple o' windows."

"So that's what took so long," Ray commented with a smile.

"Good job, Mouse," Dot said, glancing up from the console she had been working at for the last micro. She returned her gaze to the console and didn't speak.

A shared smile passed through the group. Mouse walked over to stand by Ray.

Several nanoseconds later, the door opened, and there stood — Mouse. The lavender-skinned hacker was breathing heavily, having run from the other end of the Principle Office.

"There's — there's an imposter," she panted, her gaze sweeping around the room. When she saw the copy of her, she drew her katana and charged at the first Mouse with a fierce cry as the others watched in confusion.

In an eye-blink, the first Mouse leapt forward and seized the second. She pinned Mouse's arms to her sides in a steel grip with one hand, while she pressed a knife to her neck with the other.

"Nobody move," the imposter hissed, "or the hacker gets it."

Matrix stepped forward, pulling Gun out of its holster. He pointed it at the imposter; out of the corner of his eye he saw Bob appear behind the Mouses, holding up his hands, ready to use his keytool powers.

"I don't think so," the Guardian challenged.

Matrix tightened his finger on the trigger when he felt something hit him in the back. He spun around as Specks launched himself again at the large renegade. Matrix gave a shout — more of surprise than pain — and grabbed the small binome.

While his attention was turned, the fake Mouse knocked Bob aside, still holding the real Mouse. When AndrAIa stepped forward, she kept her back by pressing the knife harder to Mouse's neck.

Matrix succeeded in grabbing Specks. He held the binome a foot away and glared at him. Instead of cowering, as he usually would, Specks returned the glare.

Matrix wanted to laugh; instead he said, "So, you're an imposter, too?"

"Took a while to figure that out, eh?" Specks countered dryly. His single eye turned to the imposter Mouse, and he asked, "Why is it _you_ get to be the good sprites?"

"Me?" she laughed, still holding the knife against Mouse's neck. "Ah gotta work with this accent, and it ain't helpin' — wait." She cleared her throat several times; and when she next spoke, her voice had deepened, and there was no accent. "You get the people they never notice. Whether I'm in disguise or not, I'm always noticeable." With her last words, the imposter Mouse's skin melted and shifted, changing color. Her purple skin and static orange hair became black and white and orange stripes that ringed her entire body, including her hair, that was crafted into a brown swirl above her head. With a look at her partner, she said impatiently, "Well — change already."

"Fine," he muttered — his voice had already deepened. "You're always so bossy. . . ."

Matrix looked back at him and swore. He tried to keep a hold on the shifting mass in his grip as the imposter's skin melted and wriggled, like the woman's. When he was finished, Matrix found that he was holding a male sprite Bob's size, with deep red skin and thick black hair done up in feathers. He wore a black jumpsuit with a white sash over the left shoulder.

The sprite blinked at him over dark sunglasses. "Do you mind?"

Reluctantly, Matrix set him down. The sprite dusted himself off self-consciously, and walked over to where the woman stood. "C'mon, let her go," he said.

With an obedience as forced as Matrix's she dropped Mouse. With an enraged growl, the hacker spun around and prepared to use her katana. The woman grabbed the weapon in an action too fast to follow.

Everyone had shrunk back. Dot approached the two mysterious sprites. "Who are you?" she asked.

The man grinned. "I believe the better question is _what_ are we." The woman beside him grunted, but he went on, "We're strong, clever, pretty much immortal beings called Protectors — meaning, we watch over and protect sprites. In this case, we're assigned to the Matrix kids. I'm Rasta Mon," he added, with a small bow.

Bob's eyebrows rose. "Rasta Mon? How'd you end up with that kind of name?"

"It's actually Raster Monitor," the sprite replied, "but I prefer the shorter version. And I wouldn't be talking — _Bob_," he added.

Bob nodded meekly and turned to the woman. "And you are . . .?"

"Stripe," she answered grimly.

"Just Stripe?"

"Just Stripe," she repeated. Half of her mouth quirked upward in a small smile. "It's pretty self-explanatory."

"Ookay," Bob muttered under his breath, and stepped back.

Dot seized control of the conversation once again. "You two — protect us?"

"Ah, but it's Protect with a capital P," Rasta Mon corrected her. "And yes, we've watched over you and the Enzos."

"For how long?" asked Dot.

"Ever since you were initialized," Rasta Mon explained. He grinned. "We're not technically supposed to intervene noticeably in your lives. We didn't have to when you were kids — him, ah, they, as a toddler, and you as a teenager." His face darkened for a moment. "Those times weren't like these. They were good."

"Yes, they were," Stripe added. She looked at Matrix and said, "I remember when you were so young and innocent — before you got the eye, the gun, and the attitude that came with them."

"So you were there — in the Games?" Matrix asked.

Stripe laughed mirthlessly. "Don't hold your breath."

"_I_ was in the Games," Rasta Mon said.

"And that left me in Mainframe," Stripe added.

"Let me guess," AndrAIa ventured, "neither of you got who you wanted?"

This coaxed a laugh from both of them.

"Far from it," Stripe said. "If I had my way, I'd have watched over the older Enzo. He's more of a warrior than Miss Command.com."

Dot made a small, insulted sound, but Rasta Mon beat her to an argument.

"Brains are better than brawn," he said.

Stripe snorted. "Please, Ras."

"Please, tell us this," Dot said. "_Why_ exactly are you two appearing _now_?"

Stripe turned a glare on Rasta Mon. He coolly replied, "Daemon" without looking at his companion.

"What's with the disguises?" Mouse put in.

Stripe shrugged. "We'd be out of place as ourselves."

"If Mouse is here, where's Specks?" asked Bob.

In answer, Rasta Mon kicked the console behind him. The loose plating popped off, revealing Specks, bound and gagged.

Rasta Mon bent down and untied the binome and helped him to stand. "Nice meeting you," he said cheerily, shaking Specks' hand. "No hard feelings, I hope?"

Shaking, Specks fled the room as fast as he could.

Rasta Mon shook his head as he stood up. "Jumpy little guy," he commented.

Phong rolled into the Principle Office. When he saw the two Protectors, he gasped and jerked back, dropping the minimized windows he held. "Who are you?"

Rasta Mon grinned. "Hey, how's the wise old Command.com?"

Phong peered at him closely and adjusted his glasses. "I am sorry, my son, but do I know you?"

Rasta Mon smiled and shook his head. "Probably not. We're Protectors. Long story. . . ."

Later, the two Protectors were walking down one of the Principle Office's hallways. They were invisible, not wishing to show themselves to the other citizens of Mainframe. Their voices were also cloaked; no one could hear Stripe shouting at Rasta Mon.

"You idiot!" she snapped. "What did you think you were doing?"

"What did you think we _could_ have done?" he countered. "Run away as imposters? They would have caught us."

"We would have disappeared. We've done it before."

"Then how come you were the first one to change?" Rasta Mon argued.

Stripe bit her lip, her eyes clouded. "The real Mouse came in and ruined our cover — but . . . I don't know," she admitted finally. "It seemed . . . I don't know, right to."

"You see, Stripe, this way was so much better than the other," Rasta Mon urged. "They _deserve_ to know."

"We've Protected three generations each," Stripe said. "None of _them_ deserved to know."

"This is a super-virus, Stripe!" Rasta Mon argued.

"I still don't see your point."

"This is our problem as much as it's theirs. Did you ever stop to think what would happen? If Daemon deletes either of our Protected. . . ."

Stripe looked away, her face hard.

". . . .We'll be out of a job," Rasta Mon went on. "Have you ever failed to Protect someone, Stripe?" He knew it was a touchy subject, but he had to prove his point.

Stripe glared daggers at him, but instead of answering his question, she said, "I still think it was ill-conceived and impulsive."

"That's why you love me," Rasta Mon teased.

A corner of Stripe's mouth twitched, as she tried to hide a smile.

"I'm getting more like my Protected every second," Rasta Mon mused.

Unable to help herself, Stripe laughed out loud.

Rasta Mon frowned as he thought about what he had just said. "Wait! That can't be right!"

Dot's Diner was crowded with CPUs and weary sprites taking a break from their upcoming-war plans, as well as the normal lunch crowd. Cecil was in a frenzy trying to seat everyone, and for once his "Wait at the bar" expression had a meaning.

"Tell me more about Protecting us," Enzo urged Rasta Mon. He, the Protectors, Matrix, AndrAIa, and Kode sat in a booth; the sprites drank energy shakes while Rasta Mon and Stripe sat back and answered questions.

"Like, if you were my Protector, how come I never saw you?" Enzo asked.

"For one thing, we just made history this morning, being the first Protectors to reveal themselves to sprites," Rasta Mon answered. "Plus, we're supposed to stay low when watching you people."

"Wait," Matrix interrupted, eyes narrowed. "I remember seeing you once; in the Principle Office, when Bob and Dot had that tiff."

"So you were the purple guy who was levitating!" Enzo said remembering also.

AndrAIa and Kode studied Rasta Mon's red skin in confusion. Stripe glared at him and accused, "I thought you were camouflaged."

"I thought purple _was_ camouflage," Rasta Mon answered helplessly.

Stripe waved a hand in an "I give up" expression. "I have better things to do than listen to you all," she muttered. "Like take care of my Protected." She disappeared swiftly, leaving a fading image of stripes.

Enzo gaped at the spot where she had been. "Can all of you do that?" he asked Rasta Mon.

He nodded. "And no, I'm not demonstrating for you," he added as Enzo opened his mouth. "Man, I've nearly forgotten what it's like to Protect a kid, what with the renegade over there speeding up his life in the Games." Rasta Mon grinned at Matrix's annoyed glare. To Enzo and the others he said, "You have _no_ idea how much I tried to fix him; but he was a lost case from the start. I even went into his dreams." He turned to Matrix and smiled. " Who is Number One?'"

Matrix's eyes widened, and he growled, "You!" He looked ready to strangle Rasta Mon.

"Were you around when I met those two?" Kode asked.

Rasta Mon looked at him, and immediately his expression turned sour. "I told you, I was there for all twelve hours. Believe me, you didn't make my job any easier when you two were fighting over the game sprite. Any other questions? Good," he said when no one spoke. "Hey, what's-your-name, energy shake, please."

Cecil glanced over at the red-skinned man. "Coming up sir," he said tightly. When he had set down the energy shake, he snapped, "And it is Cess-il!"

Rasta Mon lifted his drink as his body turned invisible, so that it looked as if the energy were draining down through the air. Binomes in booths near them gasped or slowly backed away.

Rasta Mon reappeared. "Ahh, nothing like a good drink. Hey, where'd everybody go?"

"I don't believe it," Matrix muttered to AndrAIa, "he's some kind of attention hog. I don't know which one is worse, him or Kode."

"Be nice," she whispered back.

"Yeah, Enzo," Rasta Mon added with a smirk. "I used to change your diapers in the Twin CIty, when Del was taking a break."

Kode exploded with laughter into his shake. He quieted, but he still convulsed silently, grinning at Matrix.

Matrix clenched his hands into fists. "How did I end up with you?" he muttered.

"That's exactly what I've been asking myself all these hours," Rasta Mon retorted. "As I'm sure Stripe has. . . ."

Stripe watched over Dot's shoulder as the Command.com sorted through the various windows that the _real_ Mouse had salvaged from the damaged Archives. "What use is that? You need action, not dawdling."

Dot turned and glared at her Protector. Stripe merely crossed her arms over her chest and said, "Just giving my opinion."

Dot sighed and turned back to her work. "Why didn't you end up Protecting my brother, since you two have so much in common?" she muttered.

"That's not the way it is," Stripe replied. "Sometimes Protectors and their Protected are the same, but, as Ras would say, that makes it so boring."

"I'll bet," Mouse said, listening to the conversation from her seat. "Do Ah have a Protector?"

"Every sprite has a Protector," Stripe answered. "Of course, none of them are as stupid as my partner, to break every rule in the book."

"Are there any files on Protectors?" Phong asked interestedly. "Once we rebuild the Archives, we could add that to the collection of information. It would make Mainframe's Read Only Room a very popular place, with something as rare as that."

Stripe shrugged. "I'll talk with Rasta Mon; there may be some files."

Dot held up a minimized window. "I found something on viruses."

Mouse took the window and double-clicked the box in the corner, and it snapped to a full-size VidWindow, displaying a list of the different types of viruses.

"Let us begin watching, so we can find out something," Phong said.

Stripe seated herself next to Dot and turned invisible.

"It's gonna be a long second," Mouse sighed.


	5. 3: Hello and Goodbye

CHAPTER THREE

HELLO AND GOOD-BYE

****

Author's note: I don't know if Lost Angles came back with the system reboot (I didn't see it reappear in "End Prog."), but in this fanfic it's there, and Hexadecimal still lives in her Lair.

Prime Guardian Turbo looked up as Daemon approached. She was in the form of an older woman with turquoise skin and snapping purple eyes. In the seconds after the destruction of Isna Radius' mansion, Daemon had changed hosts, so that no one would see the presumed-dead Isna walking the Supercomputer's streets.

Turbo flinched as Daemon passed by his group of Guardians, the flash in her eyes making the gashes on his arms burn. Much as he hated to admit it, he was frightened of the gruesome stories he'd heard of what the super-virus did to the slaves who lacked — some of those punishments he had experienced first-hand. Proof of the stories came not only in the various injuries Guardians and the slaves bore every second, but also in the blank stares of those he commanded.

Daemon didn't hold a reprimand, as Turbo had thought she would. She simply watched the sprites and binomes work, then looked at Turbo and commanded, "Turbo — my office."

Knowing not to speak, he followed her, ignoring the mutters and stares of the slaves. When they stepped inside her office, he seated himself where she told him to, his mouth dry.

"Do you know what divide, render, conquer' is?"

Turbo started. "The viral format," he answered slowly.

"Correct," Daemon said. A ghost of a smile appeared on her lips. She turned to a small organizer placed on her desk and began entering numbers into it, with an almost businesslike air. Her gloved fingers struck the keys with a light _tap tap _sound as she spoke. "It's an excellent strategy in taking over a system; especially one like that Mainframe."

Turbo blinked, surprised and very intrigued; despite himself he asked, "Why?"

Daemon didn't admonish him for his question. Instead, she was strangely at ease to give him an answer. "The key to control is to separate the enemy; to use their weaknesses against them. Matrix is quick to anger and will do rash things. AndrAIa will be defenseless if she is unable to recognize her surroundings. Reach past Bob's bravado and you discover a dark part to him. Put all these together, and you get pain and chaos and no order — Dot Matrix's worst nightmare."

"How — how do you know all this?" Turbo asked; he knew he was pushing his luck, but at the moment he was too shocked to care.

"I have my sources." Daemon turned to face him and smiled mysteriously. "You may go."

Turbo didn't waste a nanosecond. He pushed himself up; and with a short bow and murmur, quickly exited the room. He brushed past the large guards with their expressionless faces, continuing down the hall with silent drones trailing suspiciously behind him. Turbo waited until the drones had stopped their following before he abruptly turned a corner, down a hidden hallway he had been through so many secret times before.

Daemon watched until Turbo had left the room. Again she smiled in her all-knowing way, even as she traced the direction he was heading. She was no two-bit being; she knew when she was being betrayed, and she knew how to bait someone to give her just the right information she needed.

The icon-follower on her organizer blipped as Turbo stopped at a room, and she received a reading. Daemon stood and motioned for her guards to follow her as she led the way to the communications chamber.

Turbo was such a bright mind. It would be a pity to lose that.

Turbo hunched over the console, his fingers moving like lightning across the keypad as he typed in Mainframe's address. The machine hummed, but it took a full millisecond to connect. Turbo took the time waiting to sort through his scrambled thoughts.

Daemon never took an interest in her minions; why, then, would she tell _him_ all those things, her sure plans for Mainframe's destruction? Turbo had gone to great lengths to keep secret his alliance to the Mainframers, but he knew he wasn't _that_ good!

"Incoming message from: Supercomputer. Incoming message from: Supercomputer." The green type flashed against the black screen. Bob quickly pressed the ENTER button, and Turbo's face, badly bruised and battle-weary, with the green Infection's veins pulsing weakly at his temples, shimmered into existence on the screen. The picture crackled and faded several times, but finally the connection held.

All the sprites and the two Protectors clustered around the screen, waiting for the message.

Bob's face appeared on the screen. Behind him stood Matrix and his sister Dot, as well the other inhabitants of Mainframe. "Turbo, what is it?" the Guardian asked.

"We've got news — bad news," the Prime snapped, not bothering with formalities. "Daemon has a plan — and a good one — to destroy Mainframe."

"How did you find this out?" Bob asked.

Yes, how? added Turbo's mind. It's not like Daemon to let information like that slip — you know that.

"Never mind how," Turbo snapped. "I didn't understand all of it — but she was talking about divide, render, conquer,' and —"

Frenzied thoughts were still chasing themselves through his head. You're not even very high up, his common sense argued. Daemon wouldn't give the information, unless she was planning to —

At that moment, both his speech and his thoughts stopped, because Turbo had finally realized what he hadn't been able to put his finger on before. His breath caught in his chest, but he didn't dare exhale, he was so frightened. He didn't need to turn around to know that Daemon and her infected Guardians stood at the doorway to the room; and judging from the *click* as one cocked his gun, Turbo knew he'd live longer if he stood still.

"Turbo, how could you betray us?" Daemon voice, hard with a falsely sweet edge, echoed through the room with its own authority.

Hands hauled him roughly from the console; one of the Guardians locked Turbo's arms behind him, as the other pressed the muzzle of his gun into the Prime Guardian's back.

Turbo fought against the panic rising in his chest; the Infection would just feed on it. Too late. The nano he processed that thought, the veins at his forehead clamped down hard, sending shoots of fire through his temples. He fought to look squarely at Daemon. "How?" he asked through clenched teeth.

Daemon stripped off her gloves and traced a finger along his chin. Turbo gasped as welts opened in his skin. Daemon just smiled and stroked the new injuries, making them burn viciously. Turbo swallowed a scream and tried to jerk away, but Daemon grabbed his chin in a steel grip and forced him to look at her.

"I'm not basic, Turbo. When Bertram returned from the search for 452, she told me that not only had she glimpsed you sneaking around the system, but you also were _shooting_ on Bob's side! Now, that could only mean one thing: I was being betrayed. It took only a matter of time — and some drones to follow you around — for me to understand who you were giving my secret information to."

Turbo's head felt like it was on fire; his skin bubbled so excruciatingly he could hardly process a thought. "I — hate you," he managed. His voice cracked pitifully.

Daemon laughed. "Oh, is that all you can do? Pity; I wonder what I should expect from Bob, if his mentor is this weak." She released his chin abruptly. Turbo gasped in relief, then renewed pain, as the air stung at his face. Daemon replaced one glove and made her way over to the console.

"Ahh — _Mainframe_." Daemon leaned against the machine and smiled like a predator who has cornered the prey. "Such a wonderful system; but it has been so hard to take hold of. Now I owe you thanks, Turbo, for setting up a connection for me. Hello, my soon-to-be-slaves," she whispered. "I know you're in there; and in a little while I'll rule you all." She pressed a button, saving Mainframe's address; then Daemon shut off the communication systems. She turned back to Turbo.

"Too bad. I had high hopes for you being one of my _independent_ generals." She tut-tutted mockingly, as Turbo glared at her, breathing hard. Daemon stepped back. "It looks like I can't depend on any thinking mind but my own. The only thing left now is for you to join us."

One of the Guardians pulled the trigger, and Turbo felt the force of the bullet hit him squarely in the back. He fell to his knees and glared up weakly at Daemon, standing over him. She grasped his head with her bare hand, as he cried out in pain; then her form started to blur and shimmer. Turbo didn't know if it was just pain, but he thought he saw her darken and grow taller. The middle-aged woman's form became that of a younger, more exotic-looking woman who exuded evil and hatred of sprites. Then Turbo knew he was seeing the true super-virus. 

He looked up into her eyes and shivered; they were black holes, with a single piercing light of power. Turbo lurched back with a cry, but Daemon dug her fingers — no, claws — into his head, into his skull. Turbo screamed in agony as fires burst inside his head and his life force drained out of him into Daemon. Suddenly, Turbo's eyes became blank and dark. He went as stiff as a board and fell at her feet, his body outlined in a pool of energy.

The last thing Prime Guardian Turbo remembered was the look of pure malice that shone in the super-virus' eyes — the true Daemon.

"Turbo? Turbo!" Bob shouted, banging his fist on the console. "Turbo, answer me!"

But there was no answer. The window was covered with a network of green veins before the screen faded into total blackness.

Bob leaned against the wall, a defeated look on his face. Matrix swore under his breath. For they had just lost their one connection to the Supercomputer. And they knew that while they had lost a friend, Daemon had gained a new slave.

"And another one bites the dust," Rasta Mon remarked darkly.

Matrix turned from the window, his body rigid. "Is that all you can say?" he snarled at the Protectors. "Someone was just deleted trying to help us. _Don't you care_?"

"I understand the value of a life," Rasta Mon argued. "We both do. I was merely making a point; see what Daemon has done to the almighty Guardians, and their head? You have to work if you want to beat her."

"Can we take a break?" Dot asked wearily, holding a hand to her head. "We can just rest for a moment; think, plan . . ." She reached out her arm to Bob, but he ignored her, his face set.

"Those two are right, Dot. We can't take breaks in this war. The rest of the Net is depending on _us_ to defeat Daemon. We have to take control and teach that super-virus a lesson."

"I wish I got _him_," Stripe murmured to Rasta Mon.

Dot ignored her Protector. She tried to hug Bob again, and he looked down, as if he had suddenly noticed her. "I'm sorry, Dot," he said, cupping her face in his hands. "I've got to go — go think. In fact, I'll go see if I can access any information as well." He swallowed and moved away from her, and he walked out the door.

Everyone's eyes turned to Dot, who looked as if she had been slapped. Slowly, a brisk mask replaced her hurt expression, and she said in a forced voice, "You heard Bob; a plan is what we need." 

She absently turned her icon, rebooting into the tight leather jumpsuit she had sported during the war. She froze, realizing what she had done. Suddenly she felt faint.

"Dot?" Matrix asked in concern.

She shook her head. The war was back, and she was needed to be the commander. "Let's do it."

Everyone nodded, and they began to silently get to work, Turbo's deletion fresh in their minds as a consequence of what could come.

The mysterious baby passed from sprite to sprite in the few seconds after her discovery. The first to receive care of her were Matrix and AndrAIa, as the couple was moving into an apartment in the Twin City.

AndrAIa held the sleeping baby against her shoulder as she and Matrix stepped into their new home. The few binomes who had escorted them left the two to settle in, but Del remained, watching them expectantly.

"What do you think?" she asked as the two walked around, studying the small rooms.

"It's great —" AndrAIa started to say, but Del ignored her.

"Enzo?"

"Like AndrAIa said, it's great," Matrix replied. "Thanks a lot, Del."

The young woman smiled in satisfaction. "Glad to help." She zipped off, waving good-bye.

AndrAIa sat on the couch next to Matrix, shifting the baby to her other shoulder. Matrix glanced uneasily at the infant sprite as her black eyes fluttered open, and she opened her mouth.

"Hey, little one," AndrAIa cooed, rocking the baby gently. "Did you sleep well?" She put the baby in Matrix's arms, and he groaned.

"Do I have to, Dre?"

"Be a man, Matrix," she scolded. "Hold her and keep her happy while I go get something from the P.O. Oh, and take this," she added, handing him a towel.

"But — oh, crash it all," the renegade muttered. He set the baby in his lap with the towel so she wouldn't drool on him, and he stared ahead, with nothing to do.

The baby looked quizzically at the large sprite holding her silently. She wasn't used to having nothing going on around her, and she started to cry.

He winced at the sound. "No — shh, shh," Matrix muttered. "Stop it." He tried shifting positions, but it only increased the baby's crying. 

She stopped crying and stared up at him, her face blotched. Then her chin started to tremble — _Oh, spam,_ Matrix thought.

He lifted the baby onto his shoulder with the towel, and very lightly patted her back, but he was unsuccessful to quiet her. "AndrAIa!" he called helplessly.

AndrAIa stopped at the door with an aggravated sigh. "I'll be right back!" she shouted.

The baby reached her tiny hand toward his icon. "No, not that," Matrix said. Then, realizing it would probably get her to be quiet, he relented, "Fine."

The baby ran her hands over the shiny Guardian icon, giggling as her fingers kept sliding over the smooth surface. _At least it keeps her quiet,_ Matrix thought gratefully. He rocked the baby gently for several milliseconds.

Ten milliseconds later, the door opened, and AndrAIa came into the room, carrying a data-log and a bottle of milk for the baby. When she saw Matrix cautiously rocking the baby in his arms, she laughed out loud. He turned his head to glare at her.

"I don't believe it," she laughed, taking a seat next to him; "the almighty renegade, who survived the Games and fought infected Guardians _and_ Megabyte, can't take care of one little baby."

"Laugh it up," he muttered. "Will you take her already?"

AndrAIa took the baby into her arms and stuck the bottle in her mouth. The baby's eyelids drooped, and she grabbed the bottle with her tiny hands as she drank the milk.

"You see, she was just hungry," AndrAIa explained. When the baby had drunk her fill, the game sprite set the bottle beside her. She lifted the baby onto her shoulder and gently patted her back until she burped. "There we go — all right," AndrAIa soothed, smiling.

"Where'd you learn all that?" Matrix asked. The look in AndrAIa's eyes when she watched the baby made him uneasy.

AndrAIa was looking down at the drowsy baby as she answered. "Someone taught it to me in a system." She glanced up at him and smiled. "You two looked like you were getting along; at least, for a few milliseconds."

Matrix shrugged, not looking at the baby. "I don't think babies like me."

"That's not true!" AndrAIa laughed. She rocked the baby until she fell back asleep, then AndrAIa looked back to her lover. "Admit it, Enzo — she looks cute when she's asleep."

Matrix glanced at the little sprite, with her thumb in her mouth and a peaceful look on her small face. Reluctantly, he agreed, "You're right."

"Just think," AndrAIa continued, "if we could have a child of our own. . . ."

"Don't start that again," Matrix pleaded. It seemed every minute they were having this discussion, of starting a family. "Look, Dre, I just don't think I'd make a good father."

"I think you would," the game sprite replied quietly.

Matrix didn't have an answer to that; so he just held AndrAIa close.

Someone knocked loudly on Bob's door. He slid out from under his car and took off his headphones, then made his way through the garage to his door.

"Hey, AndrAIa," he greeted the game sprite. Then he looked at the baby she held. "Is it my turn?"

"It is," she replied, handing him the baby, along with her towel and bottle. Before she left, she turned back around and asked, "Bob, are you _sure_ you can handle her?"

He frowned. "Of course, she's just a little baby — Oh, did Matrix have trouble?"

AndrAIa nodded, fighting to keep a smile off her face. "He did. But after that ten milliseconds, he and the baby got on pretty well."

"Well, I'll be fine," Bob told her. "I don't think they taught childcare at the Guardian Academy, but I'll make do. Thanks, AndrAIa."

The game sprite waved and left.

Shaking his head, Bob went to the living room. "I'm a Guardian, of course I can take care of one toddler," he muttered to himself. "Jeez . . . wait a nano," he said, looking down at the baby. "Toddler? But yesterday she was —" He shook his head. "I don't get it."

The baby was awake, staring at her new caretaker.

  
"Hello," Bob said, talking in a sweet, baby-talk-voice to her, "let's get you a nice comfy place to rest."

He had no crib in his apartment (having never found the need for one), so Bob set the baby on the couch and created a little force field around her with his keytool powers. The baby giggled, enjoying it.

"Now, you just stay there," Bob said. He went into the garage, leaving the door open. He slipped his headphones back on and went under his car as he resumed tinkering.

__

"It's a beautiful cycle in the neighborhood, a wonderful cycle for a neighbor — will you be mine, will you be —"

"WAAHHH!"

Bob ran in. "What is it? What's wrong?" His eyes swept the room, until he found the baby, still in her force field on the couch, wailing at the talking television in front of her.

Bob's eyes narrowed in irritation. "_Mike_. . . ." he growled, advancing on the appliance.

Mike the TV backed up several steps as the Guardian approached, switching his screen from the children's program to his face. "I was just trying to help — she doesn't like _Mr. Spacer's Neighborhood_, or anything!"

"Just go, Mike," Bob said. Obediently, the television fled.

"Hey, it's okay," Bob soothed, taking the baby out of the force field and setting her on his knee, as he reached for the bottle. When he tried to feed her, the baby swatted the bottle away, and it spilled on the carpet.

"Let's try that again," Bob muttered, picking up the bottle while holding the baby with his other arm. The second time wasn't any better than the first; the baby just wouldn't take the bottle. 

Bob ran a hand through his hair and sighed deeply. Thankfully, the baby had stopped crying when Mike left. Bob set her back on the couch and put the force field around her, but she looked so unhappy he couldn't just leave her by herself.

"What's wrong with you?" he murmured. "What is it you want?"

She reached out with her hands, her tiny fingers grabbing at the air.

"A toy?" Bob guessed. "That must be it — but where do _I_ have toys?"

He searched around the apartment and finally came up with a small blue teddy bear dressed in a Guardian uniform. He returned to the living room, where the baby was watching him silently.

"Here you go," Bob said, handing her the stuffed bear.

The baby grabbed onto the bear and started sucking on its head. Feeling very pleased with himself, Bob returned to the garage.

Bob let out a sigh of relief. His turn was over, and now some other sprite could take care of the baby. 

He portaled himself to the Mainframe docks, where Ship was parked, and he knocked on the hatch.

Mouse opened the hatch; but when she saw Bob holding the baby, she looked about to close it again.

"Here you go, Mouse," Bob said, handing her the baby and her towel, bottle, and bear. He had to fight to hide his smile at the look of annoyance — and helplessness — on Mouse's face.

"Hey, Bob," Ray called as he surfed in.

The Guardian nodded. "Your turn," he called back.

Ray looked at the baby and at Mouse — and he had to turn his head to hide his smile. "Pixelacious," he groaned.

Mouse gave Bob a pleading look, but he held up his hands and said, "Hey, I had to take care of her for two micros; so did Matrix and AndrAIa. It's only fair."

"Don't worry, love," Ray added, putting an arm around Mouse's shoulders. "I'll help you with her."

WARNING: INCOMING GAME. WARNING: INCOMING GAME.

Bob grinned at the descending Game cube. "I've been called. See you guys later" and he created a portal to G Prime.

"So, love," Ray asked as they stepped into Ship, "have you ever taken care of a li'l one before?"

Mouse rolled her eyes. "Me, Sugah? Never. Ah don' really like kids. Ugh," she groaned, as she hefted the baby onto her shoulder.

Mouse had set up a small playpen in Ship's front; but away from the controls — she wasn't going to have a mischievous little baby mess up her ship's flight. She set the baby down amidst the boxes and blankets and settled in the pilot's seat; Ray sat in the copilot's chair. The baby was very happy in her new environment, and she played with the teddy bear Bob had given her.

"Well, what are we s'posed ta do, while she plays?" Mouse wondered, leaning forward in her chair to look at the baby.

Ray caught her arm; Mouse turned to him questioningly.

"I can think of one thing . . ." he offered slyly, brushing a strand of hair out of her face. Mouse grinned and let him lean all the way forward to kiss her.

Meanwhile, the baby was watching the two adults ignoring her. She dropped her bear over the side of the box and began to whimper.

Mouse and Ray broke away from the kiss, wondering what had interrupted them. She noticed the bear and retrieved it for the baby, but the little sprite didn't acknowledge the return of her toy.

"I think she's lonely," Ray said. Mouse looked to him, and he shrugged. "Here you go, little one," he continued, picking up the baby and setting her on his leg. She giggled and reached for his goggles — "No, not those," Ray said, lifting his head out of her reach. The baby frowned slightly, but she took the bear back and sucked on it again.

"By the way, Mouse," Ray asked, "does she look bigger to you?"

Mouse took the baby into her arms and studied her. "You're right," she said, frowning in puzzlement. "Only thing is, we don' know how old she was when we first found her; or maybe we'd be able ta figure out how old she really is."

The baby reached forward and tugged on Mouse's hair — _hard_.

"No!" the hacker ordered. She quickly put the baby back in her playpen, glaring at her; the baby, for her part, stared back with a sulky pout.

"Ah _really_ don' like kids," Mouse muttered. She turned to her controls and fiddled with a few buttons.

Ray watched over Mouse's shoulder for a millisecond, then he turned his attention back to the baby. 

Unfortunately, there wasn't a baby to watch.

"Mouse!"

The hacker turned back. "What's wrong now?"

"The baby's gone!" Ray said, pointing at the empty mound of blankets and the box pushed aside.

Mouse swore under her breath. "Well, don't just stand there! You look over there, and Ah'll look here." They set to frantically searching Ship.

"It's a small ship — she couldn't have gone anywhere," Ray reasoned, as he looked in-between big pieces of machinery.

Someone giggled behind him, and Ray whirled around to see the baby's back as she raced away from him.

"There she is!" he yelled, sprinting after her.

"Where?" Mouse called.

"In the back!" Ray replied, as he speeded up. The baby was just in front of him now.

Mouse appeared around a corner, directly in the baby's path. But the little sprite turned and ran to the left, and both adults had to change direction after her.

The baby loved the chase; she laughed as she dodged the two larger sprites trying to catch her. The game lasted for several milliseconds, and after a while, her caretakers began to get tired.

Ray stopped for a nano, breathing hard. The baby peeked around from behind a machine and cautiously made her way over. While he was catching his breath, she stepped onto his Baud, lying on the ground. He twitched involuntarily, and she jumped off the Baud and kept running.

Mouse rushed after her. She was getting very irritated, having to chase a little baby — and when could the thing walk, anyway?

Finally, she saw the baby. "Gotcha," she said, grabbing the little sprite and bringing her back to the front of the ship. Ray joined her, looking as exhausted as she.

"Kids are too energetic for me," he groaned.

Mouse could only nod. She looked down at their charge and noted with a smile that the baby was asleep, no doubt worn out by the long chase. "Thank the User," she whispered, with a slight nod to the dozing child.

Ray smiled and kissed Mouse on the cheek, then smoothed back her tousled hair. "You did great, love."

The baby smiled in her sleep and tugged again on Mouse's hair. She bit back a curse, only keeping it in when she saw the look of contentment on the baby's face.

The baby only woke once, for some milk. Then, at 1800, Mouse and Ray's shift was over, and it was time to go to the Diner.

Enzo shifted his arms; the baby was really heavy, and even heavier when she was held in the same position for several milliseconds. "I can't believe Mouse and Ray said she was trouble. Look at her, she's so quiet and peaceful when she's asleep."

Dot listened from where she was fixing them a small dinner. Mouse and Ray had dropped off the baby, with a short explanation of the event they had shared with the baby. "She may be peaceful now, Enzo, but judging from what Mouse and Ray told us — plus what I heard from Bob and Matrix — she's a handful. Come over here and eat some dinner."

Enzo sat with Dot at the small table, while she set up a highchair for the baby. They ate in silence.

"How's school?" Dot asked.

Enzo shrugged. "It's all right. How're the plans against Daemon?"

Dot's expression darkened. "They're . . . all right."

Enzo yearned to ask more about the plans against the super-virus; but the look on Dot's face told him it wouldn't be a good time to mention Daemon. He remembered, with an uncharacteristic sadness, hearing about the deletion of Turbo last second. Even he realized that Daemon was going to be harder to beat than Megabyte ever was.

As Dot cleaned up, Enzo picked up the baby again and set her down next to him on the floor. He held the bear in front of her, while she grabbed for it.

The baby fell back on her bitmap and grinned at the boy. "`Zo . . . Enzo," she gurgled.

He jerked back in shock. "Dot! She just said my name!"

Dot frowned and kneeled next to him. "That's not possible, Enzo. She's only been with us for about three seconds."

"But I heard her say it!" he protested. He took the baby back into his arms and said, "Come on, say it again. Say Enzo!"

Dot smiled at his impatience. "Enzo, babies don't just say things when you want them to."

"Aww, but Dot —" Enzo suddenly sniffed, and his expression twisted into one of utter disgust. "C-P-U! She smells!"

Dot put her head in her hand and laughed at her brother's reaction. "Enzo, she's a baby — it's one of the main things she does, besides eating and sleeping. Here, give her to me." Enzo willingly surrendered the baby to Dot.

She carried the baby over to the counter and began to change her diaper. Enzo stayed in his spot; but he watched Dot more interestedly than the baby. "How come you know so much about taking care of babies?" he asked.

Dot smiled at him. "After Mom was deleted, and Dad threw himself into his work, Del and I were the only ones who could really take care of you. I took care of you most of the time; and once in a while, I left you at Mainframe's Principle Office, with Phong."

"Oh." Suddenly, Enzo felt a surge of guilt. He had burdened Dot so much when he was little — so much that she had spent almost all her time taking care of him! "I'm sorry," he said in a low voice.

"Oh, Enzo!" Dot came over with the newly cleaned baby and hugged her little brother tightly. "Don't be sorry; I loved to take care of you, and I still do, even when you're nearly 1.0." She spun his cap, as his face slowly broke into a smile.

"You know," Enzo began, "if _you're_ taking care of the baby, Dot, I know she'll turn out great."

Dot smiled. "Thank you, Bro."

Phong received the last shift, which lasted for the night and the next morning.

The old sprite was closing the last doors inside the Principle Office when he heard a cry from the room where he had left the baby. He quickly rolled inside.

The baby lay in her crib, with the blankets flung aside. She was chewing on one fist, her eyes wide and attentive.

"Hello, my child," Phong said, lifting her out of the crib. "What troubles you? Are you lonely?"

The baby sniffled.

"And you can't sleep." Phong sighed. "Well, neither can I. But I know what can do the trick."

He carried the baby into his office, where he had a small kitchen. He set her in a chair and went to fixing her a bottle of warm milk, and a mug of cocoa for himself. When it was ready and had cooled, he gave her the bottle. The baby gleefully drank the warm milk; Phong sat beside her and sipped his cocoa.

"We are very happy to have you here," he told her in soft, gentle tones. He sighed, looking much older. "I only wish you do not have to grow up in a system at war with Daemon. Nevertheless, your arrival has been a joy in all of the darkness. Hmm — what's that, little one?"

The baby was lightly snoring; the milk had done its work.

Phong carefully took her back to her room and gently set her in her crib. He tucked her in and laid a hand on her head for a nano, watching the peace in her small form. Then he quietly closed the door and went back to his office.

"Sleep well, my children."

The next second, which was four seconds after Enzo had found her, he, Bob, and Dot came to the Principle Office looking for the baby.

"Ah, good morning, my children," Phong greeted them as he rolled into the room, sipping a cup of hot cocoa.

"Hi, Phong," Dot replied. "Where's the baby?"

"She is not here," Phong replied calmly.

They stared at him in horror.

"I gave her to Hack and Slash to watch," Phong continued.

A look of panic passed through the group, and they rushed out of the room.

They found Hack and Slash, arguing over something. The baby was nowhere to be seen.

"Hey," Bob called. When the `bots failed to hear him, he tried again. When they kept arguing, he roared, "Hey!"

Both `bots turned. "Yes, Bob?"

"Where is she?"

"Who?"

"I think he means Dot."

"But Dot is right here. Maybe he means AndrAIa."

"Hmm. AndrAIa is in the Twin City. What about Mouse?"

"I do not know, maybe she is —"

"Mouse isn't here," Dot put in. "Where's the baby?"

"Oh! The baby!" they both exclaimed.

"Gee, I don't know."

"We were watching her right here."

"I was reading her a story."

"She cried a lot."

"Where did she go?" Dot snapped impatiently.

They pointed opposite ways; then they fixed their directions and pointed to the left.

"That way," Hack said. "She just went —"

"–And then we started to argue —"

"What were we arguing about again?"

The sprites didn't wait. They zipped out the door and went in the direction that the `bots had pointed.

"Oh, great," Bob moaned as they touched down on Lost Angles, "just great."

"This is very bad!" Enzo cried. "Why'd she have to go to _Lost Angles_? It's a fate worse than deletion!"

They traveled quickly through the sector, thrown around by the chaotic tunnels and doorways. About to give up, they appeared outside of Hexadecimal's lair. Up above them, the virus hovered, holding a small figure — the baby.

"Okay, I was wrong," Enzo stated shakily. "_That _is a fate worse than deletion!"

Hex came down, and she put the baby down. Looking bigger than the last second and wearing a small red outfit, the baby clung to Hex's legs, her black eyes wide and attentive. Hex gently put a hand on the baby's shoulder, her face showing a look of pure joy.

"Hex," Bob said slowly, "what are you doing?"

The virus looked up at the sprites, her mouth curved in a smile. "Little Tessa was being a perfectly chaotic nuisance; what a little angel."

"Tessa?" Dot repeated.

"Yes. Tessa." Hex gestured at the baby still clinging to her legs. "Short for Tessali." Hex's eyes narrowed, and now she looked fierce. "Do you have a problem with that?"

"Ah, no," Bob replied quickly. "It's okay, Hex — Tessa is a really good name."

"Good. I'll be looking after Tessa from now on," Hex said.

"Are you sure?"

Hex smiled at the baby. "Of course. She loves it here, anyway." Tessa gurgled in agreement. Hex smiled lovingly, and the two of them disappeared into her lair.

Enzo watched them go, his face showing mild disappointment. "I _was_ the one who found her," he grumbled.

"Don't worry, Enzo," Dot said, putting a hand on his shoulder. "C'mon."

As they zipped away from Lost Angles, Enzo said, "Hey, wasn't Tessa, like, one hour old yesterday?"

Bob frowned. "She was. . . . We'd better ask Mouse about that."

"Ray and Ah noticed it, too," Mouse said. Bob, Dot, and Enzo stood in the doorway to the room she worked in. The hacker sat on a box as she explained. "If ya think about it, she's only been here fer a couple o' seconds; she looks only a couple o' hours old."

"But how could something like this happen?" Dot asked. "It's not normal for a sprite to compile up that fast."

Mouse shrugged. "Ya got me. Since we can't really do anything about it, mah idea is we just check on her once in a while and see how she's doin' — and how old she looks ta be."

"That will be a problem," Bob said, grimacing. "Hex just took full custody of the baby — and she named her Tessa."

"Tessa, huh? It works. . . . We should still try and see how she's doin'."

The three sprites nodded and left.

"Will Tessa be all right, Dot?" Enzo asked, his eyes wide and concerned.

Dot placed a hand on her brother's shoulder. "Of course, Enzo. It's just . . . we've never dealt with anything like this before." _One of many things we've never dealt with before. . . ._

AndrAIa rolled over in the sheets, her eyes closed in peaceful sleep. She awoke slowly, yawning, and reached for her lover. When she found only the empty sheets, she sat up. AndrAIa looked around the new apartment, but Matrix was nowhere to be seen.

AndrAIa dressed and went downstairs. Outside, she met Del, who was preparing to zip to Mainframe.

"Morning, Del. Have you seen Enzo?" AndrAIa asked.

"Matrix? Oh, Harm invited him out for guy things; to talk, I guess. He left earlier."

"Oh," AndrAIa said. "Thanks."

Del smiled and nodded. The falsely cheerful way she treated the Mainframers showed AndrAIa that Dot's best friend didn't yet trust them. Puzzling over that, as well as several other things, AndrAIa left for Mainframe.

"Morning, Andi," Kode greeted her at the Diner. "Where's Matrix?"

"With a friend from the Twin City," she answered.

"Which leaves you alone for the second," Kode finished. He raised a dark eyebrow. "Come on, you know I'm right."

"I never said you weren't," AndrAIa replied with a small smile.

Kode grinned and put an arm around her. AndrAIa politely shrugged it off, thinking that he was pushing his luck.

Kode was unfazed. "What do you say we go see a .mov or something today?"

AndrAIa smiled regretfully, though it was only a mask. "Sorry, I think Mouse needs me to help her today."

Kode shrugged. "Fine. I'll escort you to the P.O."

As they were exiting the Diner, they met Dot on her way upstairs. "Hey, AndrAIa . . . Kode," she added after a small pause. "You're off to the Principle Office? See you later."

They waved and zipped off. Dot shook her head and began accessing VidWindows while she opened her organizer.

Bob sighed as he and Dot walked from the Principle Office to the Diner later that second. "You see, Dot; you should listen to me more often, and have more breaks."

"If I listened to you more often, we wouldn't get anything done," Dot teased, kissing him on the cheek.

Bob tightened his arm around her. He leaned over to kiss her, when someone behind him called, "Dot?"

Dot turned, and Bob found himself facing air. "Hey, Del," she called to her friend.

Del came forward, maneuvering between Bob and Dot so that the two women walked together. "You won't believe what I just found out —"

They walked off, gossiping like teenagers — which Del wasn't much older than, Bob thought — leaving the confused Guardian standing alone.

He shook his head, frowning. "What in the Net just happened. . . ." he murmured to himself as he started walking again.


	6. Hello and Goodbye, PART 2

CHAPTER THREE

HELLO AND GOOD-BYE, PART 2

Hexadecimal couldn't think of a time before or after the system reboot that she had been happier. Having Tessa in her lair was like having a child, or a sister, that she watched over and who looked up to her. And the girl loved to paint, which was a bonus.

"What do you think of this one, Hex?" Tessa asked from her spot on the floor, where she was mixing and applying paint with her hands to a canvas.

Hex looked over from her mirror to see. She stared at Tessa rather than the painting, though, her face registering complete shock.

"What is it, Hex?" Tessa asked. She reached up a hand to wipe her face, and Hex caught her wrist, turning it over so she could be sure of the mark in the child's dark gray skin.

"What in Kilobyte's name," she whispered.

Now Tessa was getting nervous. "What's wrong?" she repeated.

Hexadecimal looked up at her charge without releasing her wrist. "Tessali, I think you need to see the sprites."

Del sat on one of the Diner's booths, watching, bored, as Dot typed in her organizer. "C'mon, Dot," she pleaded for the fourth time. "Let's go the docks and get some ice cream, like old times."

Dot glanced up with a stern glare. "I can't, Del. I have to plan."

"Plan, plan, plan," Del groaned, earning another look from Dot. "Is that all you do these seconds, Dot?"

"If Daemon takes over Mainframe, she's sure to go right to the Twin City after," Dot reasoned with her friend.

Del made a sound of disgust and hopped off the booth. "I don't like the way you've gotten, Dot," she complained. "You're not fun anymore."

"It's been a while since the carefree seconds of the Twin City," Dot retorted.

"Yeah, four hours," Del said. "I wish you hadn't grown up. Maybe then we'd be closer." The 2.6-hour-old sprite stormed out of the Diner in a huff. 

Dot sighed and returned to her work, but a nano later Enzo came with another interruption. "Dot, something really weird's happened," he began.

"Not now, Enzo," she sighed, waving a hand at her little brother. "I have work to do."

"Dot, it's really weird," Enzo said, his voice edged with panic.

Tessa's voice spoke up. "Dot, why does Enzo say something is the matter?"

Dot looked up to answer; then she froze as Hex had. Next to Enzo stood a girl sprite clad in a jumpsuit. She looked the same as the past cycle, when she was a 0.3-hour-old sprite, with gray skin and black eyes; except that today there stood a 1.0-hour-old, gray-skinned, black-eyed, not to mention, _bald_ girl sprite. On her exposed wrists were strange markings: 

ÎÅ´ÂØ 

The remarkable marks were more like strangely accurate letters. Dot felt a chill race up her spine. She gazed at the child for a few nanos. 

"_Tessa_?" Dot asked cautiously.

The girl nodded, not understanding. Dot quickly checked Tessa over and discovered that the same marks on her wrists were also on the back of her neck.

Dot looked back at Enzo, who looked scared out of his circuits. "I found her in Lost Angles, just walking; and I thought she looked different, because she wasn't that old yesterday," he began to babble. "So I brought her here. How come she's like this? I mean, she's that weird color, and she has no hair, and something really random's going on —"

Dot held up her hand for Enzo to be quiet, because Tessa's eyes had begun to fill with tears, as she listened to the sprites talking about her as if she were a creature. She looked up at Dot, dark eyes shining. "Dot, am I all right?"

"Of course," Dot quickly assured the child. "We just need to take a trip to the Principle Office. There's something Phong wanted to ask you." She guided Tessa outside, with Enzo following; and they hopped on their zip-boards and sped to the P.O.

"Sweet User!" Mouse gasped when she saw Tessa.

__

So much for hurting her feelings, Dot thought with a sigh.

"Hello, Tessali," Phong said pleasantly to the child. "Do you remember me, Phong?"

Tessa shook her head, and glanced at Mouse, who, for her part, stared with a frown, trying to understand the situation. AndrAIa was watching from her own station, amazed.

"When did ya find her like this?" Mouse asked Dot and Enzo.

"Just today," Enzo said. He frowned. "Wait, I remember that about a cycle ago — six seconds, I think, Tessa looked 0.4."

"Ten seconds since we found her," Mouse mused. She snapped her fingers and grinned. "That's it; the kid's been aging an hour per second. She's 1.0 now." 

"Your guess from the other second was right," Dot said. "But just ten seconds! We had no idea she could have aged that quickly."

Mouse continued, "What we need to know is: Why?"

Dot knelt by her brother. "Enzo, think hard. Where exactly did you find Tessa that second?" Tessa listened intently.

"It was at the docks. I was just walking around, and I heard crying. When I looked down, I saw baby Tessa floating in the water. I took her out, and then I saw a portal closing."

"That was the second we had the power surge, or whatever that was," Mouse said. "It must've been linked to her appearance."

"Why?" Ray voiced the question that was on all of their minds.

Phong brushed a hand over the markings on Tessa's neck and wrists. "Maybe there is an answer in these," he said.

The others clustered around, and Tessa backed away a step, frightened by the many faces.

"Here," Phong said, pushing his way through. "I have something for the girl." He held out a shiny, new icon to Tessa. "Take this, my child, and you will be registered in Mainframe."

Tessa shyly took the icon from him and pinned it onto her shoulder. As it came in contact with her skin, she shrieked, and green light washed over her wrists and neck, highlighting the markings. It burned through her skin, making her scream louder. She collapsed into Dot's arms, her face ashen.

"Tessa?" Dot asked worriedly. She placed her finger on the girl's neck and was relieved to feel a weak pulse. She looked up at Mouse, her face clearly displaying her shock. "What was that, Mouse?"

"The Norton program," the hacker replied grimly. To ward off more viral infections for the citizens of Mainframe, Mouse had installed a smaller version of the anti-viral program in the PID of each Mainframer, and for any new icons. "It didn't take too kindly to her codes. Looks like little Tessa here has a viral connection," she continued, bending down to inspect the child.

Enzo stood to the side, watching as the sprites studied his newfound friend, and he was afraid of what the consequence would be of Tessa's viral connection.

Mouse ran her fingers over Tessa's wrists. The Norton program had burned the markings away, and now Tessa's wrists were covered in ugly welts. The same was on her neck, where the others markings had been. "She only had a small connection, as ya can see from the marks on only her wrists and neck — but maybe her skin color has somethin' ta do with a virus."

AndrAIa found some cream, which she dabbed on the welts to soothe the pain. Tessa's face contorted, then relaxed.

A flash of light, and Hexadecimal appeared, her face twisted in worry. "Oh, my poor Tessali," she moaned, taking the unconscious child into her arms. "What have you done to her? And what happened to the Sign?"

"What sign?" Dot asked, standing up to face the registered virus.

Hex indicated the welts. "The ancient Viral Language shows those marks are the Sign of Daemon."

Any activity screeched to a halt. Enzo sucked in a shuddering breath.

Tessa's eyes fluttered open, and she stared confusedly at first Hex, then the others. "What's happening?" she murmured.

"It's all right, my dear," Hex soothed.

"Is that why you took her in, Hexadecimal?" Mouse accused. "Because she was one of your own? A fellow virus, or at least a viral?"

"I don't — I don't know any viruses," Tessa protested her voice small and frightened. "Really, I don't."

"Are you sure, Tessa?" Dot asked, her voice gentle but firm. "Are you positive that you know nothing of _any_ viruses, especially Daemon?"

Tessa shook her head; and her eyes showed she wasn't lying.

Mouse sighed. "Well, this has got us nowhere. Tessa, honey, Ah fixed yer icon, so now ya'll grow the same as the rest of us."

"Thank you," Tessa whispered shyly.

"Tessa will be coming with me," Hex announced; and without further ado, she and her charge disappeared.

The CPUs and other binomes went back into action. The remaining sprites tried to understand the reason for what had just occurred.

"It's almost like Game time," AndrAIa spoke up, "when you age an hour for every minute. I've never heard of it developing this fast, though."

"We'll have ta see if we can get Tessa from Hex one second and find out more," Mouse said.

Dot nodded. "I hope that's our only problem." She smiled wryly, as if she had spoken too soon, but no one said anything, and Dot relaxed. "I've been working too hard. Maybe Del is right; we _all_ should get out more."

"Speaking of," AndrAIa said, "I better get to the Twin City. Matrix should be returning by now." She waved good-bye and zipped away.

Dot frowned. "Enzo was gone?" she murmured to herself. She must have really been deep in work. "I was hoping to spend some time with Dad."

"You go, Dot," Mouse assured her. "It's nearly time for all of us to be goin' home, so Ray and Ah'll just finish up."

Dot shot her friend a grateful look and rebooted back into her red-and-peach-colored jumpsuit. At the door, she turned and asked, "By the way, when are you two planning to go?"

Mouse grinned ruefully. "Ah had wanted ta go a full cycle ago; but with all the repairs, I doubt we'll be able to go fer another cycle. Don't worry, Dot; we'll be out and getting information on Daemon soon enough."

Dot nodded and left. The others started to wrap up their work for the second.

"I knew the girl was trouble," Rasta Mon announced, as he and Stripe materialized behind Mouse.

The hacker jumped instinctively; when she saw who it was, however, she glared and rubbed her neck. "Ya two are a right annoyance, ya know," she muttered.

Stripe rolled her eyes, which only increased Mouse's temper, but Rasta Mon went on, "She's got viral codes; or, at least a little. Look what Mouse's Norton program did to her." A slow smile spread across his face. "Stripe, are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

"No, and I should be thankful," she answered.

Rasta Mon turned to Mouse. "Say, can you install the Norton codes on an _existing_ PID?"

"`Course Ah can," Mouse scoffed. "They don't call me the Mouse fer nothin'. It's child's play."

"Great," Rasta Mon said, smiling.

"What do you want that for?" Ray asked.

Rasta Mon shrugged. "You'll see. I have a little theory concerning the citizens from the Twin City. Stripe, dear, if you could go tell Dot we've got a . . . ceremony planned for tomorrow?"

"I expect an explanation soon, Raster Monitor," Stripe said before she left.

Rasta Mon smiled at the two sprites. "I've got my own business to attend to; if you'll excuse me?" He disappeared without waiting for an answer.

Ray shook his head. "Are things in Mainframe ever uncomplicated?" he asked with a rueful smile.

"Not much," Phong surprised them by answering Ray's rhetorical question. "Do not expect much peace, my children."

Dot sat in one of the Diner's booths. She was drinking her energy shake, but also keeping an eye on her father. Welman sipped his own shake, but his attention seemed elsewhere. When he realized Dot was watching him, his eyes quickly focused, and he smiled at his daughter. "You have no idea how much I enjoy sharing a drink with you, Dot," he said.

Dot returned the smile widely. "Me too, Dad."

Welman took a breath. "There's something I've been meaning to talk to you about, honey," he began. "You see, the Twin City was your real home, for both you and Enzo; and I think you three would be better off to come live there with us. Permanently."

Dot coughed into her shake, surprised and a little shocked. "But — Dad — _Mainframe_ has been our home, for longer than the Cities. We couldn't leave it."

Welman shrugged. "It's only across the data sea," he tried to reason. He leaned over and clasped her hands tightly. "Dot, as your father, I would advise that you come to live with your family and friends — in the Twin City. With that super-virus around, I can't afford to let you be deleted."

"Dad," she argued, her voice rising ever so slightly, "all of our friends, and protection, are in Mainframe. By the way, I'm a grown woman now, and I can make my own decisions."

"Little Enzo isn't," Welman said calmly.

Dot felt her energy run cold; was this what her father had wanted to talk with her about? "Do you mean you want to take Enzo?"

"He is so young. I'm his father, and I could let him live a normal life, with real parents."

Welman's words struck Dot hard. She almost voiced her thought of, "Are you saying that I wasn't enough of a mother and father for Enzo?" She bit the inside of her mouth to keep from speaking.

Welman went on, "Dot, you know I'm right."

Dot shook her head, pulling her hands away. "No, Dad. _I_ was Enzo's mother and father for four hours; and I understand that you're back. But Enzo's real family is in Mainframe, with Bob and Matrix and AndrAIa and Mouse and Ray and Phong."

Welman slowly withdrew his hands. His face had turned hard; it was scary how he and Matrix shared the same expressions, Dot realized ironically. "Dot," he said, his voice stern and demanding no argument, "I am Enzo's father — and yours. What I say goes; and I'm telling you that you all belong in the Twin City."

"Why don't you ask Enzo?" Dot countered quietly. "You can't do anything without his consent."

Her father trembled with anger. "You'll see just how much I can do," he murmured. He said no more, and they finished the meal in tense silence.

As Dot escorted her father back to the Twin City, Welman seemed to have dropped the argument, for he discussed other topics with Dot nonchalantly.

The pirates escorted them to the Twin City. Upon arriving there, though, they saw a portal open, and a small, rickety-looking ship come gliding on a crooked course towards them. To Dot's surprise, binomes were waving the ship down into the harbor. It slowly jerked down and docked in the data sea. The door slid open with a hiss.

Dot stared in confusion at the unfamiliar ship in the harbor. Welman, however, walked on to where Harm stood, as sprites and binomes unloaded supplies from the ship. After a quick glance around, Dot rushed over to where her father and Harm were talking.

"They're right on time, Mr. Matrix," Harm was saying. "I told them to go ahead and take out the . . . supplies," he added after a pause as he noticed Dot.

Welman nodded. "Good job, Harm."

Harm nodded and turned away.

"Dad," Dot said, "who are these people?"

"Traders," he answered. "The Twin City was doing business with them. We were expecting them."

"Expecting them? When? Back four hours ago, or now?"

"Now," Welman replied. "They carry some valuable supplies in exchange for a place to rest."

Dot rubbed her temples. In all of the time she had lived in the Twin City, she never remembered traders coming by. Was it coincidence that this had occurred _just_ when the Cities were resurrected, and when Daemon was taking over the Net? Dot hoped so.

"Dot!" The Command.com looked over in relief to see AndrAIa and Matrix zipping toward her. They touched down, watching the scene with the same confusion.

"What's going on?" Matrix asked with a frown.

Dot explained what Welman had told her. She shrugged helplessly. "Dad and Harm acted as if this was normal, but it's not. At least not how I remember."

"Enzo and I'll help them unload," AndrAIa suggested. "Maybe we can find something out from those traders."

Dot watched them go. As she turned, though, a figure melted out of the air right in front of her. She jumped back in momentary surprise, then raised her eyebrows at Stripe. "What is it?"

"Rasta Mon has developed a plan," Stripe said, and began to explain. When she finished, she said, "Come to the Principle Office. You should be there; as Command.com."

Dot nodded and headed for the pirates' ship.

"Hello," AndrAIa greeted the sprites emerging from the trading ship. "Welcome to the Twin City. Do you need help?"

"That would be nice," a man with dark green skin answered brusquely. He pushed past the two sprites, carrying a large crate. Matrix's eye glowed red in annoyance.

"Some people," AndrAIa commented, lest Matrix come up with something more colorful.

" Some people,' indeed," a young woman spoke up. The two sprites spun around to face her. Her young, golden-colored face was creased, and the light in her eyes was weary. Her hair was a pale lilac color, but there were already gray streaks visible. AndrAIa's mouth opened to apologize, but the woman shook her head. "It's all right. Rif can be a real jerk. I'm Kirstie Acos," she said, releasing one hand from the 0.6-hour-old by her side.

"AndrAIa," the game sprite said, shaking Kirstie's hand. "This is Enzo Matrix," she said as Matrix shook the woman's hand.

"_Matrix_," he corrected, with a glance at his partner, who only rolled her eyes.

A boy of almost 1.0 sped by Kirstie, nearly knocking her over. She recovered herself and snapped, "Eric!"

At his mother's tone, the sprite stopped in his tracks and turned, his face sheepish. His shaggy hair was a darker purple, and his skin was a pale teal tone.

"What did I say about getting in the way when we're unloading the ship?" Kirstie asked, one hand on her hip.

Eric looked down and drew little circles in the ground with his right foot. "To stay out of the grown-ups' way and not get in trouble," he recited under his breath. "Sorry, Mama."

Kirstie leaned down and brushed his bangs out of his face before kissing him on the forehead. "It's all right, honey. Now, go with Midi and _stay out of trouble_."

Eric took the hand of his 0.6-hour-old sister and led her away.

Kirstie sighed as she watched them go. "Those little rascals . . ." she murmured.

AndrAIa and Matrix watched silently. Kirstie seemed around Dot's age, but she looked so much older.

"Here, let me help you with that," AndrAIa offered, when she saw Kirstie's grip slip on the wooden chest she was carrying. She helped the woman set it down.

"We'll help you unload the rest," AndrAIa said. Matrix nodded.

Kirstie thanked them and led them inside, where they brought out more boxes and a few pieces of furniture.

"So, where are you from?" AndrAIa asked.

Kirstie started to answer, then stopped as the captain — the dark-skinned Rif — approached them. He glanced at Matrix and AndrAIa in disgust and kept going on his way.

After a pause, Kirstie spoke again. "I'll tell you, when we finish unloading," she said.

Half a micro later, the three sat by the small ship, taking a break. Kirstie held a small rucksack, its straps she twisted in her fingers as she talked.

"Eric, Midi, and I are from a system called Lycos. My husband --" Her voice broke, but she recovered herself. "My husband, Eric Acos -- for whom our son is named — is, or was, a Guardian. As you can guess, he was infected by Daemon. The kids and I found this ship; its crew is made up of people who have no home and go to and from systems. We've been traveling with them for about an hour."

"We've had our run-ins with infected Guardians," Matrix spoke up for the first time. He gave a brief description of what had occurred in the system where they had first learned of the new threat to the Net.

Kirstie smiled when he finished. "So, you understand what we're going through? Most of the sprites in the other systems weren't so sympathetic."

"So," AndrAIa asked, trying to sound casual, "have you been here — as in the Twin City — before?"

Kirstie nodded. "A few times. The people here have been very hospitable. Do you live here?"

"You could say that," Matrix replied vaguely.

Kirstie took it as a hint to end the conversation. She stood up and looked around. "I tell the boy to go somewhere; but he never tells me where." She sighed and put her head in one hand. "Hopefully he and Midi found some other kids. . . . Oh, there's more to unload. Would you guys mind helping?"

"Hi! I'm Enzo Matrix; who are you? We don't get many sprites in Mainframe. Are you visiting — or gonna stay? Who'd you come with? Is that your sister? Huh, huh, huh?"

Eric grinned at the string of questions coming from the energetic green sprite. "I'm Eric Acos," he said, "and this is my sister Midi. We came with a trading ship; it's in the Twin City."

Enzo smiled enthusiastically and shook the other boy's hand. "Hi, Eric."

"Call me Ric," Eric added. "Eric is a boring name."

Enzo nodded. "You have no idea how cool it is to have a sprite my own age here," he enthused.

"Yeah, we don't see a lot of other kids in the systems we've been to," Ric replied.

"Enzo," Tessa said, approaching the sprites, "who are your friends?"

Ric and Midi backspaced, eyes wide. Enzo gritted his teeth and turned to Tessa. "These sprites are with a trading ship, from another system, Tessa. Ric and I were just going to go talk about stuff," he added, trying to gently hint to her that he didn't want her around.

"What is it?" Ric asked in a hushed whisper.

Enzo grimaced in annoyance at Tessa's interruption, but at the same time he disliked Ric calling her "it." "This is Tessali. She came to the system about a cycle ago, and the local virus adopted her."

"_Virus_?" Ric repeated, even more frightened.

Now Enzo was growing more exasperated. "It's fine," he told Ric hastily, "she's a registered virus. Tessa just started following me around last second. Come on, let's go. I know a really cool place."

They had no choice but to let Tessa and Midi follow them. Ric and Enzo walked farther ahead, though, having their own conversation.

They traded stories of their family histories; Enzo's of the Twin City explosion, and Ric's of his father enslaved, and their system destroyed. The boy was extremely talkative about his father.

"He had black hair and teal skin, and he was the coolest dad. Also, he had a pixelacious keytool, and he was the best Guardian in the whole Net."

Enzo smiled; though he wondered, who could be better than Bob? "Is that why you and Midi look so different?" he asked. It was true. While Ric had dark purple hair and teal skin, Midi was entirely different in looks, with black hair and her mother's goldenrod skin.

Ric shrugged. "Yeah. I guess the family genes got mixed up a bit. So," he added, "tell me more about the Twin City and Mainframe."

Enzo gladly complied, and they spent the rest of the afternoon talking. When the sky began to darken, they returned to the harbor. They arrived just as the sprites from the ship were going inside the Center, where there were extra rooms for travelers.

"Hey, guys," Kirstie greeted her children, hugging them and kissing each on the top of the head. "Let's get inside and find us some dinner."

"`Bye, Enzo!" Ric called, waving, as he followed his mother and sister inside.

Enzo turned to Matrix and AndrAIa. "It's so cool, having other little sprites here! I had a great time with Ric, and —"

AndrAIa laughed and put a hand on his shoulder. "You can tell me while I bring you home, Enzo," she said.

"Okay, Andi," he said, beaming at her. He began to relay the afternoon's events as he and AndrAIa zipped off.

Matrix was the only one in the harbor, as the rest of the Twin City prepared for downtime. He absently scanned the area around him with his eye, when he froze. He narrowed his eyes at the ship, as he saw a shape move behind it. He slowly crept around the edge of the ship, watching for the shape he had seen.

There it was: something pink, and a lot of it. Matrix frowned and quickened his pace. He followed the shape around the edge of the ship, until he reached the end. With a hand on the holster on his leg, he stepped forward to confront the mysterious figure sneaking around —

"Hey, hey, calm down!" Rif said, holding up his hands as he found the muzzle of Gun in his face. "I was just closing down."

"Sorry," Matrix muttered, as he placed Gun back in its holster.

Rif rolled his eyes and stepped past the sprite. Still shaking his head, he walked into the doors of the Center.

Matrix hung back a moment. What had he seen? There was no one there but Rif, and he certainly wasn't pink. Was his processor playing tricks on him, like those puzzling — he couldn't think of anything to call them but hallucinations — he had experienced before?

Matrix groaned and rubbed his temple. This was what happened when he returned home, huh? A few nanos later, he went inside the Center.

From the other side of the ship, a slender blue-gray hand holding a small blaster emerged. The blaster jerked from side to side, tracking for any sprites or binomes, but there were none. The next moment, the owner of the blaster came into sight: a young female sprite with soft blue-gray skin and a long dark pink braid that fell to her knees. Over the tight black halter she wore, her gray shoulder-pads were painted with the Guardian icon, like the one on her chest.

"The coast is clear," Blair Steyx called in a hushed voice. She waited for her partner to come from his hiding place.

Covin Permut stepped out from an alley between two tall buildings. His skin was the color of cinnamon; but for his young age of 3.5, his hair was a shockingly bright white. Although he wore a Guardian icon and shoulder-pads like Blair, his golden-trimmed jacket showed that he was higher in rank than she. As well as her partner in this mission, he was the commander. His eyes quickly scanned the area before he took his place at her side.

Covin took a small communicator from his belt and switched it on. "Attack Team Five reporting in. We've arrived in the selected system, Mainframe," he said in a soft voice, then waited for a reply.

"Attack Team Five," the general acknowledged, his voice thick with static, "good work. How was your ride?"

Covin's mouth twisted into a small smile. "Bumpy, to say the least," he answered wryly. Then his viral programming took over, and he continued in a cold, emotionless voice, "Proceeding to Step 2 of the plan: initiate bomb."

"Go, and report back next second."

Covin affirmed the statement, then turned off the communicator and replaced it on his belt. He turned to Blair; his eyes, once a pale blue, but now clouded with yellow-green veins, met hers. "We'll go to Mainframe for a spot to lay the bomb." 

Blair nodded to the commander, and pulled out her keytool; its name had been Diode, but that fact was irrelevant now. Most of the keytools had been lost, or refused to work for their Guardians after the Infection, but Blair's was one of the few that had. Covin shot an empty crate, creating a tear that Blair used her keytool to make a portal. The two infected Guardians stepped into the portal, and it closed into a small speck that sped across the sky towards Mainframe.

AndrAIa watched the small ball of light that shot across the darkening sky.

__

A shooting star . . . she thought with a smile, then stepped onto her zip-board and hurried towards the Twin City, where she reached her and Matrix's apartment.

When she entered, she found Matrix in the small kitchen, waiting for her. He crossed through the living room to reach her, and wrapped her in a hug.

"Miss me?" AndrAIa teased, sliding her arms around his neck and kissing him playfully.

Matrix smiled. "Of course," he replied, kissing her in return.

They sat down on the couch together, and AndrAIa began accessing windows about other systems, work from the Principle Office. Matrix looked over her shoulder.

Conversationally, AndrAIa said, "So — how was your day with Harm? Did you two get to talk?"

Matrix raised an eyebrow. "Who told you — oh, Del." He shrugged nonchalantly. "It was fine. He mostly caught me up with everything that had happened since the Twin City were destroyed. I think he was a bit uncomfortable about the fact that I'm his age now, and not a little boy."

AndrAIa was studying the windows while she listened; but when she looked up at Matrix, her forehead creased in a frown. "I see."

"Jealous, are we?" Matrix asked.

"No, of course not, Enzo," AndrAIa replied. "I just wish you would have told me — before you went off with one of your Twin City friends."

"And you didn't spend some time with Kode today?"

AndrAIa frowned at the counter-statement. "He's been following me around, and it's getting on my nerves. You remember he used to do that, when we were in the Games." She sighed. "Fine, you win. I won't nag."

"Thank you," Matrix said with a small smile. He leaned over to kiss her.

AndrAIa leaned back against the couch. "Have you heard about what your Protector is planning?"

Matrix frowned. "No, I wasn't told. What?"

"Today, Tessa reacted badly to the anti-virus program Mouse installed on an icon, that we gave to her. Rasta Mon wants to try the program on the PIDs of the Twin City citizens." She searched his face, looking for his reaction.

Matrix said nothing, thinking over what he had been told. "Because he thinks they're viral?" he finally asked a hint of unconcealed anger in his voice.

AndrAIa shrugged. "I don't know. That may not have been his intention, but Rasta Mon sounded like he had a good idea."

Matrix was silent again. AndrAIa sighed. She was afraid that he would take offense; but who wouldn't, if it were their family that wasn't trusted?

"He'll probably want to test the traders, too," she said, trying to make it sound unimportant. "Non-residents of Mainframe."

"Hmm . . . maybe I'll have a talk with Rasta Mon tomorrow," Matrix said in a low tone that showed how irritated this had made him.

AndrAIa mentally scolded herself for bringing up the subject. They looked over the systems in silence for about a micro and a half. Finally, they closed the last window and went to their room. AndrAIa settled down on the bed, and Matrix joined her.

She leaned over and kissed him. "`Night, Enzo," she said. She lay back on her side.

A few nanos later, she heard, "Good night, AndrAIa."

She smiled to herself and drifted off to sleep.

At the door, a Protector watched the two. There were some things that Rasta Mon loved about being invisible.

"`Night, kids," he murmured, fading into a red light.

Mouse sat with her elbows propped up on the table in Ship. Ray hovered over her, concerned.

"Are you all right, love?" the Surfr asked. "You've been in that spot for milliseconds."

"Ah'm fine," Mouse assured him tiredly. "Ah just can't work out this problem in mah head." 

Ray took a seat next to her, his Baud propped beside him. "What's the problem?"

Mouse bit her lip anxiously, her eyes clouded in thought. "When Daemon attacks, Mainframe is gonna be like a sitting duck. We're gonna need some real security if we want to defeat her, both here and there. What Ah mean is, a shield for Mainframe, and shields for our fighters. . . ."

"I think you've got something," Ray said.

"You're right; Ah do!" Mouse lurched up and switched on a VidWindow to the Principle Office. Dot was just closing down; when she saw Mouse's face, her weary expression was replaced by one of surprise. "What is it, Mouse? Is something wrong?"

The hacker shook her head emphatically. "No, nothin's wrong, Dot. Ah just had a great idea —" Before she could speak any more, she looked around her in suspicion. "Mind if Ah come ta you?"

Dot shook her head, still looking surprised. "No — that'll be fine."

Mouse turned off the window and turned to Ray. "D'ya mind givin' me a ride, Sugah?" she asked.

"Not at all," he replied. Mouse climbed onto Baud behind him, and they flew off to the Principle Office.

Covin pulled out his communicator and contacted Blair. "I've found a spot," he reported.

A few milliseconds later, Blair appeared. She pocketed her zip-board and studied the empty junkyard. She glanced at the sign that read MAINFRAME DATA DUMP. "Perfect," she said, nodding at Covin. "They'll never think to look here." She detached a small, shiny, egg-sized orb and threw it into the air. It hovered, then dug into an inconspicuous-looking dumpster. Soon, there was no sign of its appearance.

Covin contacted the general, affirming that they had planted the bomb. He snapped off the communicator and looked first at the spot where the bomb lay, then at Blair.

She crossed her arms over her chest. "Now all we have to do is ride this out," she said calmly.

Covin nodded. "For the glory of Daemon."


	7. 4: Intrigue

CHAPTER FOUR

INTRIGUE

"What do you mean, he's disagreeing with this?" Dot angrily addressed the binome from the Twin City.

The young binome, a One, shrugged. "Dr. Matrix has requested that the ceremony be cancelled," he repeated the phrase for the third time.

Dot held a hand to her forehead. "_Why_ doesn't my father want to be a part of this? No," she added, an edge to her voice, "if he disagrees so strongly, why doesn't he come here himself and tell me?"

"Because he wanted to see if his messenger could do it for him," Welman Matrix spoke up from behind her. Dot whirled around, more than a little startled.

Welman nodded to the One binome. "Thank you, I can take it from here."

When only he and Dot remained in the room, Welman turned to his daughter. "I don't see why you're planning this, Dot. It's just a waste of time."

"No, it's not," Dot argued. "This ceremony is an opportunity for the citizens of the Twin City and the citizens of Mainframe to become closer. Plus, everyone should have the Norton program on his or her icon. Father — Dr. Matrix — as Command.com, I have to order you to come to this ceremony; and everyone else in the Twin City."

"I don't appreciate being ordered around by my daughter," Welman all but growled.

Dot stared him down, her eyes like steel. "I take care of this system; including the Twin City. I expect you to be there. Now, I have other matters to attend to." She nodded stiffly to him, then turned on her heel and began to walk away.

Welman turned to leave, as well. Before he reached the door, he called, "I almost forgot — I brought something for you." He set the object on a table and left swiftly.

Dot hesitantly picked up the small book he had left. It was a family album, filled with pictures of the Matrix family from their life in the Twin City. Dot felt her eyes water, and she sighed as she fingered the first few pages. That life seemed like so long ago, when she had been younger, with both her parents alive and well in the Twin City; now, she commandeered a system on the brink of war with one of the most powerful forces in the Net. How time passed. . . .

Dot closed the album abruptly and left the room.

Ray flew into the Principle Office on his Baud, with Mouse standing behind him, arms around his waist.

As the Baud hovered a foot over the ground, Ray dismounted and offered a hand to Mouse. "Miss?"

"No thanks, Sugah," Mouse grinned playfully as she refused his hand and jumped off the Baud. She looked around at the empty room. "Looks like we're a bit early."

Ray mounted his Baud again. "I should go," he said.

"No, Honey," Mouse said, catching his arm. "Dot wants you to stay, too."

Ray frowned. "Why does she want _me_ to stay?"

"Don't worry, it's fine," Mouse assured him. "Dot'll explain it once she, Bob, and AndrAIa get here."

"I'm here," the game sprite called, walking into the room as she decompressed her zip-board. "Sorry I was late; there was a Game." She glanced over her shoulder, and Mouse saw AndrAIa's face tighten as Kode walked in after her.

The hacker raised a static eyebrow. "What's _he _doin' here?" she murmured.

AndrAIa rolled her eyes. "I came out of the Game and Matrix had already left, so Kode _insisted_ on escorting me to the Principle Office," she answered out of the side of her mouth.

"Well, almost ev'ryone's here," Mouse observed, "except for —"

"I'm here too," Bob said hastily, appearing in the room. "I just had to, uh, fix something in my apartment. Hey, Mouse, Ray, AndrAIa . . . Kode?"

Kode nodded curtly at the Guardian; then he turned his attention back to AndrAIa. "Have a good ride, Andi?"

"Yes, Kode — thank you," AndrAIa said, straining to smile. "And, it's AndrAIa." She glanced at Mouse helplessly; and it was clear that Kode had worn out his welcome, especially with AndrAIa.

The sprite noticed the looks exchanged between AndrAIa and Mouse, but his face didn't show it. "I'd love to stay, ladies," he said with a charming smile, "but your friend the Crimson Binome has offered to show me around Mainframe, and I'd love to see the rest of the system."

Dot walked into the control room, looking deep in troubled thought. Her face brightened when she saw the sprites. "Hi, guys. Thanks for coming."

"No problem," Mouse assured her. AndrAIa nodded in agreement.

Dot looked at each of them in turn. "Are you all ready?"

"Er, excuse me," Kode said, "but what are you talking about?"

Dot started at his voice; and she stared for a moment at the orange-skinned sprite slouched against the wall. "Oh, I'm sorry, Kode," she apologized, "I . . . ah, didn't see you. I just need the others, for some work."

"Can I help?"

Dot shook her head. "No. No, Kode. I just need those four."

Kode's eyes narrowed suspiciously. Dot didn't like the look she saw in them.

She cleared her throat. She was Command.com, and she wasn't going to let a sprite with attitude push her around. "Do you need anything, Kode?"

"No, Miss Command.com," Kode replied with a nod and a smile, "I was just leaving for a tour of your system. I'll be back later." He left the room.

Mouse watched him go, her eyes narrowed. "Ah'm not sure letting him just go around Mainframe as he dandy pleases is such a good idea," she said.

"I'm not sure if I agree or disagree," Dot admitted. She started to walk toward the door, and the four followed. "He _is_ the guest here. AndrAIa?" She looked to the game sprite for assurance.

"He's harmless," the young woman said. "Although Mouse does have a point, with all of the . . ." She paused, searching for the correct word. "With all the precautions we've been taking lately." She shrugged. "It'll be fine."

"After this, I'm on my way to the Diner," Dot explained, with a nod to the door. "I just came from an . . . interesting talk with my father." She sighed under her breath. They arrived at the elevator. The five of them got in, and Dot pressed the button for the basement level of the Principle Office.

"By the way, Mouse," Dot added, "how is the icon-programming going?"

"It's ready fer tomorrow," Mouse replied. She cocked her head to the side. "Did yer father disagree with the idea of the procedure?"

Dot nodded. "I don't understand why," she admitted. She squared her shoulders. "But it's a necessary precaution; like you said, AndrAIa. I think he just feels like . . . maybe like we don't trust him enough. Thinking about it, that's how I'm beginning to feel."

The game sprite nodded. "Enzo — Matrix — had a similar reaction when I told him about it."

"Well, we'll get through it," Dot said, making her voice sound encouraging. "We'll perform the procedure early tomorrow."

The elevator stopped at the basement level, opening up onto an underground room. Scientists rushed by the four sprites, checking on weapons and projects being worked on down here. Dot led the four to a small room in the back. She pressed a password on the lock-codes, and they stepped inside, the heavy doors _swooshing_ shut behind them.

"Okay, Dot," Bob said, looking around in puzzlement, "why did you want all of us here?"

"Mouse told me about a plan for shielding our fighters when we send them to fight Daemon," Dot explained. "Cache will explain it to you," she continued, nodding at a dark-haired female One binome. The binome, wearing a lab coat and goggles, stepped forward.

"This is Cache Memory. She is a scientific genius, and she has a great memory. She's one of our tech-girls,'" Dot explained, smiling at the look on the others' faces.

Cache put her hands on her hips and glared with her one eye. "What, haven't your seen the tech-boys before? I'm pretty much the same."

"Cache will be helping us with Mouse's plan," Dot cut in, before the tech-girl could get more annoyed. "But if you'd like to do the honors, Mouse . . .?"

The hacker nodded and took Dot's place in front of the others. "We all know the original plan was ta send an army of CPUs in ta fight Daemon. But the other downtime Ah was thinkin' — how are they gonna be shielded? We don' have enough time, energy, or units to create a huge base in Mainframe to connect them to. Plus, if the base gets shot, they'll _all_ go down. So, Ah thought of _individual shielding_."

She held up a flat, gray steel sheet, slightly curved. "AndrAIa and Ah will manufacture these plates — we've already got tons. Then we pass `em on to Bob and Ray, who'll strengthen them with yer keytool and Web Surfr energy. Then it goes back to me an' Dre, and we'll set to attaching them to CPUs."

Cache put in, "The final result is, when the CPUs travel to the Supercomputer to fight Daemon, they'll make it through the Web without perishing, strengthened by the energies put in them."

The three sat in silence; AndrAIa looked interested, while Bob and Ray studied their hands in surprise. The Guardian looked up and spoke first. "That's genius, Mouse!"

"We'll have ta get ta work right away," she replied grimly. The others nodded.

"And it's going to take a lot off both your energy," Dot warned. "You may want to take it easier if any Games come, Bob. I'm afraid giving all this energy is going to seriously weaken you."

"Only fer a little while, eh, mate?" Ray asked; Bob nodded.

"Anything to stop Daemon," Bob said. His expression darkened. "Anything for Turbo."

Dot hugged him briefly and kissed him on the cheek. "Now, all of you get to work," she commanded. "You've got long seconds ahead."

Bob, Ray, AndrAIa, and Mouse followed Cache Memory through another set of doorways into another small room. Dot came back through the weapons area and went up the elevator. She stepped out, ready to go to the Diner.

Suddenly, a VidWindow popped open right in front of her. Dot fell back a step as Mr. Pearson's face appeared on the screen. The cranky binome looked frantic.

"Mr. Pearson, what's wrong?" Dot asked immediately.

"It's that wild dog of yours," he answered angrily. "He's been ripping everything up here. I can't stop him!"

Dot frowned. It didn't sound like Frisket at all. . . . "I'll be there as soon as I can, Mr. Pearson," she said. She closed the window and prepared to head for the junkyard. As an afterthought, she called for a small squad of CPUs to accompany her. Whatever had Frisket spooked, it couldn't be good, and the added protection might be required.

They arrived at the Data Dump in less than ten milliseconds. Dot had also called Matrix, to restrain Frisket, if need be. As they zipped through the city's levels, Dot could see Matrix's face darken with worry. He too didn't understand what could make Frisket act as Mr. Pearson had described.

As they touched down in the old junkyard, the old binome came running towards them.

"Thank the User!" he cried in relief. "He's back that way." He pointed toward the run-down shed where he lived. The sprites and CPUs followed him.

The door had been knocked off its hinges; and as they entered the shed, they saw that every box had been upturned, and gears and parts alike discarded. Frisket was crouched in the corner, gripping a machine part in his mouth as he tossed his head side to side wildly.

Matrix bent down by his dog and pulled the piece from Frisket's mouth. The dog continued to growl, even as Matrix lightly rubbed his back. "Frisket, what's wrong?"

"He rushed in here and started tearing everything up," Mr. Pearson said, keeping a reproachful eye on the trembling dog. "He just went after everything. I couldn't figure out what he was going after."

Frisket suddenly trotted over to a row of dumpsters by the doorway, and he began barking at them. Matrix stood up and walked over. Dot, Mr. Pearson, and the CPUs followed.

"Well, Enzo?" Dot asked.

Matrix shrugged in confusion. "Frisket usually doesn't act like this. . . . Only if there's a threat nearby; he can always sense anything viral." His eyes met Dot's, in a questioning look.

Matrix looked back at the dumpster and concentrated hard. It took Dot a nano to realize that his cybernetic eye had swiveled in its socket and was glowing red.

Matrix studied the dumpsters for almost a full millisecond. Finally he turned back to the others, as Frisket continued to growl. "There's something in there, no doubt about it," he said. "But what, I have no idea."

"All right, search those dumpsters," Dot ordered. "Tell me of anything suspicious you find."

The CPUs immediately set to pulling everything out of the dumpsters and sorting through each and every item.

Dot turned to Mr. Pearson. "I'm terribly sorry about this," she said.

He nodded curtly. "And I hope there's nothing harmful in there," he said, nodding at the dumpsters. He, Dot, and Matrix watched as the CPUs kept at their rummaging. Frisket continued to snarl; though the sprites and binomes could see nothing there.

AndrAIa and Mouse sat in the Principle Office's underground levels, used for storing transports, surrounded by parked CPUs. There was a box of tools at their feet, and heavy suits and bulky helmets, protection against the flame-throwers they would use, hung on the wall.

"How long will it take Bob and Ray to enforce some of those plates?" AndrAIa wondered.

"A while," Mouse sighed. "Which leaves us with nothin' ta do." Suddenly, an interested look came onto her face. "Andi, I wanna know more about yer friend Kode — like, when did ya meet `im, how long did ya know `im — but especially, how come yer actin' all weird about `im, if he was such a close friend in the Games?"

AndrAIa sighed and folded her arms over her chest. "I can't shake the feeling that there's something wrong about Kode. He _seems_ as normal as any of us; but in truth, he's entirely different from when Enzo and I last saw him. He didn't act like he does now — he was actually" — a smile tugged at the corners of her mouth — "a bit of a nerd."

Mouse shrugged. "People can change."

AndrAIa shook her head emphatically. "It's not that," she protested softly. "He's changed so much . . . I'm not sure even a few minutes — or hours — could do that."

"It happened to Enzo," Mouse replied evenly.

AndrAIa caught her breath. Mouse was right. "I guess that could have happened," she conceded. She smiled distantly. "But, you wouldn't _believe_ what Kode was like back when we were about, say, 1.7. . . ."

__

GAME OVER.

The dark purple cube retreated into the sky, leaving in its place the two young sprites and their ferocious-looking dog.

Enzo Matrix, now 1.7, sighed as he consulted his keytool. "No ports? Not again."

AndrAIa placed a hand on his arm. "I'm sorry, Sparky," she said. She smiled sadly. "Don't lose hope. Maybe the next system will have ports to the Net."

He shook his head in remorse and stared at their new surroundings.

The system's citizens had shrunk away in fright from the strangers. From the star-shaped Principle Office came a tall, imposing man with dark hair — the Command.com. With him stood his son, who shared his father's ocher-colored skin.

"Greetings, travelers, and welcome to our system," the Command.com said to the two Game-hopping sprites. 

Matrix introduced himself, AndrAIa, and Frisket. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught the Command.com's son sneaking a few glances at AndrAIa, and unconsciously, Matrix's cybernetic eye glowed red. The boy gulped and stepped back, but his longing gaze remained on AndrAIa.

The Command.com didn't seem to notice. "As the sprite in charge of this system, I invite you two to stay here for as long as you need."

AndrAIa smiled. "Thank you for your hospitality," she said graciously.

"Furthermore," the Command.com went on, "my son Kode has a great knowledge of the system; and he could show you around if you wish."

The boy pushed his glasses further up on his nose and snorted. Not noticing, AndrAIa nodded to the Command.com, then glanced at Matrix. "Enzo?"

His dark scowl lightened for a nano. "What? I — I guess."

"Pixelacious!" Kode said, speaking up for the first time. His voice was high and nasally. "C'mon, I'll show you now." He took AndrAIa's arm and pulled her after him. Kode started to lead her off, when he looked back and saw that Matrix still stood in his spot. 

"Come on." Kode reached for Matrix's arm, but the renegade pushed his hand away and drew Gun. Kode jumped back in panic, then looked up at Matrix, fear evident in his eyes.

"Matrix!" AndrAIa scolded. "Don't worry," she assured Kode, "he's okay. Now, show me around?" She batted her eyelashes. Kode grinned and nodded, and the two walked on. Matrix clenched his teeth and followed them quickly.

"We ended up staying in the system for a few seconds," AndrAIa continued, "waiting for the next Game. Kode was very enthusiastic about showing us around the system. He followed us around continually; and after a while, it got _very_ annoying."

"Hmm," Mouse answered. She glanced at AndrAIa. "Ah'm listening. Then what happened?"

"When a Game finally came, Matrix and I were horrified when Kode followed us into it, and then stayed in the Game when it left. As it turns out, Kode was also very smitten with me, and . . . he couldn't bear to be away from me."

Mouse shook her head, grinning widely. "Ya must have been a heartbreaker when ya were a teen, Dre."

The game sprite grinned back. "Unfortunately, I was. One of the seconds he had been with us, Kode had downloaded one of our game sprite formats on his icon — how he did that, I have no idea — and he used it to follow us in every Game we played. He was horrible at it, and even Enzo wasn't brutal enough to just leave him; so, we let him stay with us. And when he got better, and we made it to new systems, Kode always found a way to follow us back into the Games. He just wouldn't let us go; he was like a fungus.

"And, at that time in our lives, Enzo and I hadn't admitted we loved one another; I think we were both too shy and scared to. As we traveled through the Games, Kode and Matrix fought continuously for me." She rolled her eyes, remembering the next hour in the Games. "And that made for a lot of mishaps. . . ."

__

The three sprites and dog had been traveling together for almost an hour now. Enzo had turned 1.8, as had Kode. As the seconds passed, and AndrAIa grew more beautiful, the two teenagers began to compete for AndrAIa's affection.

It started out as small gestures; one second, while crossing a shaky Game-bridge, Kode helped AndrAIa make it across, leaving Matrix and Frisket to walk across it themselves. When they stepped onto solid ground, Kode kept his grip on AndrAIa's arm a few nanos more than was necessary, as he smiled charmingly at her. She frowned and jerked her arm away, and they went on.

AndrAIa noticed, with growing annoyance, how Matrix and Kode always fought to walk beside her, and occasionally one would trip the other; one would fall and trip the other male in turn, and they would end up scuffling, and it would be up to her to break them apart.

They would always compete in the Games, sometimes more against each other than the User. It thoroughly exasperated AndrAIa; and yet, she couldn't help but find it a little flattering.

"All right," Mouse's voice broke through AndrAIa's mind. "Ya've told me how they fought over you for that hour. Now, how'd ya end up with Matrix?"

"I was about to say," AndrAIa answered. "Finally, Enzo's and Kode's fighting reached its highest point: the two basic guys decided it was one or the other. It happened in a wilderness Game. . . ."

_The Game-hoppers hurried inside the small rock cave as icy rain rushed down in a torrent._

Once inside, Frisket curled up in a corner, tucking his ears in to stay warm. The cave was too small for any of them to stand up straight, so AndrAIa settled herself against a flat rock and drew her knees to her chest. She glanced over at her two male companions. Kode was rifling through his pack (they had each rebooted with one), while Matrix sat at the entrance of the cave, watching the downpour.

AndrAIa crawled over to him. "What are you looking for?" she asked.

He shrugged, his gaze still on the rain. "Glitch didn't specify where the User would be; I want to make sure he doesn't get near us." He looked back at her, and immediately, his eye filled with concern. "AndrAIa, look how cold you are! Here, take my jacket —"

He started to take off his jacket, but AndrAIa stopped him. "I'm fine," she said, rolling her eyes. Then she smiled. "That was very sweet, though, Enzo; thank you. We have blankets in the packs; we'll be fine tonight." Matrix nodded, and the two of them moved back into the cave.

Kode looked up as they approached. "We have the essential supplies for tomorrow," he reported. "Flashlights, pistols, blankets, rations." He held up the dried-up pack of food and wrinkled his nose.

AndrAIa pulled her flashlight out and switched it on, testing its power. She turned it off and hooked it to her belt, as well as her pistol. "Thanks, Kode," she said. "That helps."

"Any time, Andi." Kode smiled at her; but his green eyes shot a malicious glance at Matrix, who glared back, his cybernetic eye glowing slightly.

AndrAIa glanced from one sprite to the other. "We need one of us to go and scout, while the others stay here. Who will go?"

"I'll go," Kode said quickly, before Matrix could volunteer. Smirking, the orange-skinned sprite slung his pack over his shoulder and left the cave, running across the damp grass into the forest as drops of rain pounded him.

"AndrAIa —" Matrix began, but she was tired of listening to the two trying to win her affection. AndrAIa pulled out her flashlight and began searching the back of the cave.

When half a micro had passed, and Kode hadn't returned, AndrAIa began to get worried. She gazed out across at the dark forest in concern. "Where's Kode?" she asked.

Matrix appeared next to her. "He's been gone for a while," he growled suspiciously. He pulled his pack toward him. "I'll go after him."

"Be careful," AndrAIa called after him as he jogged across the grass.

Matrix glanced back and actually smiled, then went on. AndrAIa leaned back and watched him go, not realizing that she was smiling just as goofily.

She looked back at Frisket, still curled up in the corner. "I'm glad there's one _male who won't go after me like I'm a trophy; huh, Frisket?"_

The dog barked and nuzzled her hand with his head. AndrAIa laughed and waited for the two sprites to come back.

Ten milliseconds had passed, and still no one came. AndrAIa almost considered going after them. As she was pulling on her pack, she grinned to herself. If both_ Matrix and Kode had gotten lost, she would be teasing them about it for cycles!_

The sound of a pistol shot rang in the distance. AndrAIa's grin was swept off her face, and she dropped her pack. "The User," she gasped. "Oh — Enzo! Kode!"

Frisket jumped up and bounded out of the cave. AndrAIa retrieved her pack and ran after him. A thin line of smoke rose from the top of the forest, and it looked as if part of a tree had been shot.

"Frisket," AndrAIa ordered, "find Enzo!" The dog obeyed, putting his head to the ground as he sniffed, then lifted his head and ran after the trail.

They fought their way through the forest. AndrAIa found a machete in her pack and used it to chop away vines and branches, as she stumbled her way after Frisket.

__

They emerged from the forest. There was no User; instead, straight ahead were Matrix and Kode, fighting at the edge of a cliff while thunder rumbled far off, and the rain pounded the rock at their feet. AndrAIa ran toward them, but Frisket bounded right in front of her, growling and barking furiously. She didn't understand; then she realized that Frisket was trying to protect her from the two sprites. She watched helplessly as Matrix and Kode fought.

Matrix was trying to wrestle Kode's pistol from his hand; AndrAIa realized that the shot had been Kode's — and it had been for Matrix.

Matrix flung the pistol from Kode's hand, and it went flying over the edge of the cliff. Kode lunged for it — too late — then he turned to Matrix, his eyes full of rage.

The green sprite had pulled Gun out its holster; and he held it to Kode's head, right between his eyes. Kode gulped and glared up at Matrix.

AndrAIa pushed past Frisket. "Enzo, don't!" she screamed.

Matrix looked back at her in shock. While his attention was turned, Kode grabbed Gun by the barrel and turned it away, then he knocked it to the ground. He tackled Matrix, pushing the sprite down. Matrix grappled with Kode, snarling and trying to dislodge the sprite's weight.

AndrAIa rushed forward and tried to push them apart; but a kick from Kode sent her flying, and she hit a sharp rock. With a groan of pain, she slid to the ground, holding her side, which was slowly bleeding data. Frisket nudged her worriedly, but she waved him away. Clenching her teeth, she haltingly climbed to her feet.

Matrix locked Kode's arms behind his back and flipped the younger sprite over his head. Kode was hurled over the edge of the cliff, his scream fading in the rushing wind.

AndrAIa hobbled over to Matrix, who lay on his side, breathing painfully. "Are you all right?" she asked with genuine love. He nodded and tried to smile up at her.

"But where's —" AndrAIa continued, then her face grew pale. " Oh, Enzo, how could you?" She rushed to the edge of the cliff. It dropped sharply; with a sick feeling, AndrAIa thought, Nothing — or no one — could survive a fall from here.

__

Suddenly, orange fingers appeared, gripping the edge of the cliff. AndrAIa expelled a breath she hadn't realized she was holding, and she rushed to grab Kode's hands and haul him up onto the top of the cliff. Matrix came over to help, grunting with the effort.

Kode's eyes widened in fear, but he let the two sprites pull him up. When they lay on the rock, gasping, Kode pushed himself up and looked at AndrAIa, his eyes shining with gratitude.

"AndrAIa," he whispered, "you . . . you saved _me."_

AndrAIa regarded him with eyes of blue steel. "I only saved you because you don't deserve to die — not for anything you do."

She turned her head sharply to look at Matrix as well, who was watching Kode warily. "You two sprites are the most crazy and careless I have ever seen!" she yelled, struggling to raise her voice over the wind and rain. "I don't believe you — fighting to the death for the affections of one girl_? Matrix was almost deleted; then Kode was almost deleted. What were you thinking, to make you act in such a stupid way?"_

"I love you," Matrix spoke up.

"So do I," Kode added.

AndrAIa shook her head. "No, Kode, I don't think you do. I've seen the way you look at me; you think I'm a trophy, a prize to gain, that will show you're the best. You don't love me, Kode. I know love; I know that Enzo loves me, and I love him." Matrix's face brightened for a moment.

"And you, Enzo," AndrAIa continued, her tone still sharp, "I'm ashamed that you would compete over me in the same fashion. I don't believe either of you!"

Kode's cheeks burned with embarrassment and shame; as did Matrix's. Silently, they followed AndrAIa back to the cave.

No one wanted to speak. Kode pulled out his blanket and settled himself in a corner, away from the other three.

Matrix rolled his shoulders and winced.

"Here, let me take care of your bruises," AndrAIa offered. Matrix nodded, and let her take off his jacket and tend to his bruises, as well as apply some bandages to the slight cuts he had acquired. She offered the same for Kode, but he curtly refused.

Matrix leaned back against the wall, grimacing because he was uncomfortable, and he pulled up his blanket. After a nano of thought, he reached out one arm to AndrAIa, who was still shivering. "C'mere," he urged softly.

AndrAIa smiled and did as he said. She lay her head on Matrix's shoulder and let him draw both their blankets over them.

Matrix couldn't stop a smile from floating onto his face as AndrAIa nuzzled his neck lightly. He tightened his arm around her and whispered, "I love you."

AndrAIa looked up at him, and he was struck at how beautiful her sea-blue eyes were. "I love you too."

Matrix leaned down and kissed her forehead, and AndrAIa snuggled closer to him. Frisket curled up against his master's leg.

In his corner, Kode watched the couple and their dog, his eyes shining with unbridled hate. Eventually, he slept; but, like all of them, it was restless.

AndrAIa took a deep breath, and finished her story: "The next system we reached, we left Kode; and the strange thing was, he stayed there, and we never saw him again; at least, not until that Game last cycle." She sighed. "He's changed so much since then. You heard his comment about how Enzo and I are in love; he doesn't forgive us for what we did to him."

"That's amazing," Mouse commented. "Ah had no idea you two had stories like that from the Games."

AndrAIa nodded and smiled.

Mouse looked out the window of the Principle Office, her burgundy eyes clouded. "Now Ah really don't think we should've let him go off on his own."

Cache left Bob and Ray in a large room filled with the steel plates.

Bob whistled, looking around at the stacks of plates. "This is going to take a while," he observed.

"No kidding," Ray murmured.

Bob rubbed his hands together, and a golden charge started. "As Matrix would say, let's do it." He picked up a sheet and pressed his hand to it. The dull gray of the metal sparkled as keytool energy raced over and inside it. When Bob was finished, he handed the sheet to Ray and picked up another. As he was handed the plates, the Surfr sent an equal layer of glowing blue Surfr-energy over each one, and then he set them in a stack by his Baud.

They continued in a steady line for some time. Finally, when the stack of plates reached halfway to the ceiling, they paused.

Instead of just consulting Glitch (his energy was burned out), Bob checked the clock on the wall. "Whoa!" he gasped. "It's been three micros!"

Ray rubbed his temples. "I know, mate. The truth just hurts sometimes, don't it? Here, I'll take the plates to Mouse and AndrAIa," he offered. "You rest fer a nano, all right?"

Bob nodded wearily as Ray jumped on Baud with the stack of plates and shakily surfed out of the room.

AndrAIa met him halfway. "Thanks, Ray," she said, taking the stack of glowing plates. "Are you and Bob all right?" she added, concerned.

Ray smiled tiredly. "We're getting through it, love."

AndrAIa smiled back. "All right. Just work for another micro or so, and then get some rest. Mouse will delete both of you if you overtire yourselves — and I won't be far behind her."

Ray saluted playfully and surfed back. AndrAIa took the stack of plates and made her way back to the lower levels. Mouse was crouched by a line of CPUs, sizing them up. She stood up as the game sprite walked in.

"Ray looked pretty tired," AndrAIa announced with a wry smile. "No doubt Bob is too; both of them giving so much energy." She set the plates on the floor. "Well?"

Mouse picked up a plate and held it against the side of a CPU. "Good; the plates fit perfectly. We need somethin' to weld them to the transports, though."

AndrAIa reached into their box of tools and hefted a flame-thrower. "And here we go." She picked one of the suits and helmets off the wall. _Not much of a fashion statement_, she thought wryly. She slipped into the protective suit and bent down by a CPU. Mouse did the same and handed her an energy-enforced plate.

AndrAIa turned on the flame-thrower and put the fire's pressure on the plate, welding the edges of the sheet to the edges of the door. When she had finished and let that cool, Mouse handed her another one, and she did the same thing.

It took about three-fourths of a micro to shield one transport. When they had finished the first CPU, the two women sat down and removed their helmets.

"Whew," Mouse sighed. "This ain't gonna be easy. Ya're with me, Dre?"

AndrAIa nodded, her eyes determined. "Yes."

Dot entered the Diner as the city was preparing for downtime. She had spent the better part of the afternoon searching for the mysterious item at the Data Dump. They came up with nothing, though Frisket still growled, and only at the dumpsters. The CPUs searched the rest of Mr. Pearson's shed, but again they came up with nothing. Finally, they decided to give up the search. Matrix took Frisket with him to pick Enzo up from school. 

Dot had made it to the Diner, but only for a short while, as she became swamped with business messages; then she had had to take care of more business at the Principle Office. Now, after an exhausting second, the only thoughts on her mind were to get a small dinner and visit with her brothers.

Cecil nodded primly to her before moving to serve some customers at a table. Out of the corner of her eye, Dot noticed Stripe sitting at a booth, as if she had been waiting. She would have to get used to having her Protector pop up at any moment, Dot told herself. She headed through the door to the kitchen and down the stairs where her and her brother's small rooms were.

She walked into the living room to find Frisket lying on his back on the floor, as Enzo scratched his stomach. When he saw Dot, Enzo jumped up and hugged her. "Hi, sis!" he exclaimed.

"Hi yourself," she laughed, tousling his hair through the red baseball cap. "How was school?"

Enzo pulled back and made a face. "Same as always: _boring_! I wish another Game would drop, and Bob would take me with him."

Dot's only reply was to smile and spin his cap lightly. She had gained a deep grudge against the Games after Matrix had gotten lost for an hour, and she was positive she would think twice before letting her other brother go into one with another sprite — even Bob.

Matrix appeared in the room. When he saw Dot, he said, "Oh, hi, sis. I was just going." He started for the stairs.

"Wait," Dot said. Matrix turned and came back to them.

Dot held up the photo album she had been carrying for the whole second. "Dad was —" She hesitated, but only for a nano. "–at the P.O. today. He dropped this off."

"What is it?" Enzo asked, taking the album from her hands and opening it. As he flipped through the pages, his face lit up. "Alphanumeric!"

Dot took the album back. She sat with Enzo on the couch as Matrix leaned over her shoulder, and together they studied the pictures of their life from the Twin City.

"There you are, Enzo," Dot said, pointing at a picture of their family. The small green-skinned toddler in a diaper wearing a red cap wore the same exuberant grin Dot saw on Enzo every second.

"No way!" Enzo laughed. "See how young you looked, Dot," he said, pointing his finger to the image of the smiling 2.1-hour-old Dot.

"Very funny," Dot said, rolling her eyes at her brother's comment.

"Is that Mom?" Matrix asked, tracing a thick finger over the image of a turquoise-skinned woman in her early 5.0s standing next to Welman Matrix. The woman's violet eyes shone with a kind warmth and friendliness.

Dot nodded, as a lump formed unbidden in her throat. She was the only one who fully remembered their parents, and she hadn't realized until lately how much she really missed them.

Enzo stared at both of his parents in awed silence for a few milliseconds. They flipped through the next few pages; pages that held pictures showing them with their friends: Dot and Del with their arms around each other's shoulders, and a picture of Harm grinning and holding baby Enzo.

The next few pictures showed only Welman, Dot, and Enzo; taken after Cora Matrix had mysteriously deleted. The last picture was of an older Dot and a 0.7-hour-old Enzo, with the giant Center looming behind them.

"That picture was taken the second the Twin City was —" Dot's voice trailed off, and she fought to keep it from shaking. " — was destroyed," she finished. She shut the photo album and closed her eyes for a nano. Matrix put his hand on her shoulder reassuringly; Dot smiled up at her brother.

"Hey, anyone home?" Bob called, coming down the stairs. "Oh, hi," he said, seeing the Matrix siblings on the couch. He frowned. "Am I interrupting something?"

"It's all right, Bob," Dot said. She lifted Enzo off her lap and stood up and embraced the Guardian. "I missed you today."

"I missed you too," Bob said, giving her a short kiss. "Did anything interesting happen?"

"Actually, yes." Dot grinned ruefully at the surprised look on Bob's face. "You?"

He shook his head. "Nothing," he answered with a sigh. He rubbed his neck. "I'm dead tired, but — Well, um — after Ray and I finished the work, Phong and I bent over tons of windows on viruses. But we still didn't find anything."

Dot let go of him and stepped back. "I'll tell you about our second later," she said.

As soon as the two were apart, Enzo jumped off the couch and bounded at the Guardian. "BOB!" He bowled Bob over effortlessly and began chattering. "School was so basic, Bob! I don't see why I have to study; could you talk to Dot about it?"

"Enzo!" Dot scolded. "Bob's very tired."

The young sprite looked to Bob, noticing for the first time that second that his hero's face was creased, and he was breathing deeply. "Oh, I'm sorry, Bob!"

Bob laughed and carefully pushed Enzo off him. "It's okay, Partner. So," he asked, rubbing his hands together, "what's for dinner?"

"I've got to go," Matrix spoke up. He smiled apologetically. "Dre's probably wondering where I am by now." He waved to the three and left.

Dot ordered them a dinner from the Diner upstairs. While they ate, Enzo asked, "So, Bob, how come you're so tired?"

Bob traded an anxious look with Dot.

"What is it?" Enzo asked, annoyed that they were taking so long to answer him.

Dot nodded and looked back to Enzo. "Well, you see, Enzo . . ." She briefly explained the plan that Bob, Ray, Mouse, and AndrAIa had devoted their second to.

"Totally cool!" Enzo exclaimed when she was finished.

"But you tell no one," Dot added. "Not until we have explained the plan to all of Mainframe."

Enzo nodded vigorously. "You can trust me, Dot, Bob! I swear!"

Dot smiled. "I know, Enzo."

"Thanks for dinner," Bob said, pushing his plate aside, "but I had better get back to my apartment." When he was met with disappointment from both Matrixes — Dot's more concealed than Enzo's — he explained, "Kode's still staying at my apartment, and I'd prefer to be there before he gets back. I don't know, but I just don't trust that guy by himself in _my_ apartment."

Dot stood up and hugged him tightly.

"At least you don't have me to bother you anymore," Bob teased.

Dot kissed him deeply. "I _do_ want you to be here," she whispered, soft enough so only he could hear.

Bob returned the kiss. "I know," he whispered back. "So do I."

Enzo hugged Bob around the waist. "See you tomorrow, Bob. Hey, maybe you could take me into a Game with you!"

"I'm not sure," Bob replied with a sigh. "Judging from today, I'm going to be pretty tired. . . . We'll see, Enzo." He pulled out his zipboard and went upstairs, dodging Frisket by the door.

"Bob must be _really_ pooped, to be zip-boarding instead of just making a portal," Enzo observed. "It's a cool plan, Dot. I think it'll work."

Dot stroked his shoulder. "Thanks, Little Brother. Now, get ready for bed."

"Then can I watch a .mov on the vidscreen?" Enzo pleaded.

"Sure." Dot smiled as Enzo left for his room, but it soon faded. _I can't help but think Enzo's the most affected by this war; I only hope he won't have to grow up so fast — like Matrix did, like all of us did._


	8. Intrigue, PART 2

CHAPTER 4

INTRIGUE, PART 2

Bob was surprised when he entered his apartment and found that Kode hadn't returned from his tour of Mainframe. _He'll be back in less than a micro,_ the Guardian thought.

A micro and a half later, Bob wasn't so sure. He considered calling Dot, then decided not to bother her. Finally, he changed and went to his room to sleep.

What felt like only five milliseconds later, Bob dimly heard a knock on his door. With an effort, he got out of bed and went to answer it.

"Guardian Bob?"

"Hmm," Bob managed. He rubbed his eyes — then he rubbed them again, thinking that he was still dreaming. Several CPUs stood on his doorstep, guarding the sulky figure of Kode. The CPU chief was the one who had addressed him.

"Guardian Bob," he said again, "we found this sprite loitering around the Principle Office after micros. He says he's staying at your apartment?"

Bob nodded. "Yes, he is. But why would he be loitering around the P.O.?" he added, staring at Kode.

The chief shrugged. "We asked him, but he said he was just looking.'"

"Well, thank you for bringing him," Bob said. The chief nodded, and the CPUs zipped back to the Principle Office.

"What _were_ you doing at the Principle Office anyway, Kode?" Bob asked.

The orange sprite shrugged, not saying anything.

Bob growled under his breath and rubbed the last sleep out of his eyes. "Fine. If you won't tell me why, I know who you will tell — or you better, anyway." He left Kode in the living room; Bob walked into another room and sent a VidWindow to Matrix and AndrAIa's apartment in the Twin City.

It was dark when the window opened on their room. Bob's first thought was that he would awaken them, and he cringed. ". . . Matrix? AndrAIa?" he called.

There was no answer; then: "Uh, hang on for a nano," Matrix said, but Bob couldn't see him.

Bob heard sounds of shifting in the bed sheets, and he waited. Finally, someone turned on the light. Matrix and AndrAIa sat up in their bed. Matrix was trying to smooth his fingers through his hair. "Who's there?" he asked, then his eyes widened when he saw the blue Guardian. "_Bob_?" AndrAIa glanced away and tried to adjust the large shirt she wore to bed, that was hanging loosely off one shoulder.

Bob's eyes widened; it would have been better to wake them up than to _interrupt_ them, when they were — "Oh, I'm sorry, I just —"

"It's fine," Matrix replied tightly, obviously as embarrassed. "What is it?"

__

That's the last time I call without checking, Bob thought. "Your friend Kode is here. Some CPUs brought him to my apartment for loitering around the Principle Office. He won't talk to me, and I was thinking he'd talk to you, Matrix?"

Matrix clenched his teeth at Bob calling Kode "your friend"; when he heard the rest, he looked thoroughly disgusted and annoyed. But he looked at his hero and sighed. "Fine."

"I'll get him —" Bob started for the door.

"I'd prefer to move the window on my side," Matrix said, with a nod at AndrAIa.

Bob nodded and went to get Kode.

When Matrix finished talking to Kode, the orange-skinned sprite stomped by Bob and went into the guestroom, slamming the door. The Guardian watched him warily for a couple nanoseconds, then returned to the VidWindow.

"Look, Enzo," he started, "I'm sorry, about interrupting you two, and Kode."

Matrix shook his head. "It's fine," he sighed, running a hand over his face and through his hair.

"Have an interesting second?" Bob asked with a hint of a smile.

Matrix glanced at him. "Unfortunately, yes. And tonight just _had_ to add to the fun."

"So — what'd he say?"

"Nothing," Matrix replied. "I mean, he did say that yes, he was walking around the P.O.; but he didn't tell me why."

"Would he talk to AndrAIa?" Bob suggested.

Matrix shook his head again. "No. It doesn't matter, anyway."

"You're ri — righ — right." Bob's words were broken by a yawn that he tried unsuccessfully to cover with his hand. "I need the most sleep I can get," he said. "Did Mouse tell you about the plan?"

Matrix shook his head, frowning slightly.

"Well, ask her about it tomorrow; I'm too tired. Goodnight, Enzo." Bob closed the window.

"Goodnight, Bob," Matrix said. He went back to his and AndrAIa's bedroom and climbed in next to her.

"Well?" she asked, startling him.

Matrix rubbed his good eye. "Nothing."

AndrAIa crossed her arms over her chest, her face dark with worry.

Matrix stroked her hair with his hand. "Hey, what's wrong?"

"Nothing," she replied, trying to smile. "I was — just thinking about Kode today; what he was like since we last saw him."

Matrix sighed loudly and leaned back, pulling her onto his chest. "Let's get some sleep."

AndrAIa smiled and leaned over to kiss him deeply. She closed her eyes and lay an arm over his chest. Matrix pulled up the covers over them.

Unfortunately, as AndrAIa slept, Matrix too was experiencing dark thoughts. No one had told him about either of the current happenings — from the icon procedure to whatever plan Bob had just mentioned. Why did it feel like everyone was in on a secret that Matrix had no idea about?

He sighed; he had no answer to his suspicions. The best he could do was ask Mouse or Dot tomorrow. He shifted slightly, laying his head back against the pillow next to AndrAIa's, and he slept.

The next morning, Dot got a surprise when she saw Enzo up early; and Tessa sat with him in the living room, looking at the photo album from the Twin City.

"Tessa! What are you doing here?" Dot asked.

Enzo looked up. "Oh, morning, Dot. I dunno how Tessa got here — she just appeared."

"I came from Lost Angles," Tessa replied. "Hex let me come here."

"Of course," Dot said, sighing in relief. _That just explains _everything, she thought, with a touch of sarcasm. She walked past the two young sprites to make herself some java.

Enzo flipped to the pictures of the four Matrixes. "That's my family, nine hours ago." Tessa looked intrigued by the word "family," and she listened intently to what Enzo told her. 

He put his finger on the picture of the slightly older formats of him and Dot, the second of the Twin City's explosion. "After our parents were deleted, Dot took care of me for four hours, I think. She was like Mom _and_ Dad," he added, beaming up at his sister.

Dot smiled and ruffled his hair through his cap.

"When you were a baby, a cycle ago, Dot and I took care of you," Enzo told Tessa.

She wrinkled her nose. "No, you didn't!"

"We did!" Enzo argued, grinning. "And you were only _this_ big!" He held out his hands in front of him, showing the length she had been.

Tessa laughed and looked up at Dot. "Is this true, Dot?"

"It is, Tessa," Dot said.

Tessa looked back to the photo album. She flipped randomly through pages, looking at the pictures. "Enzo, could I borrow your album, for a little while?" she asked. "I promise I'll bring it back."

Enzo shrugged. "Sure, Tessa. How come?"

"I want to show Hex," the little sprite replied. Before either of them could say anything, she disappeared in a shower of sparkles.

"Hmm," Dot commented, taking a sip of her java. She glanced at the clock. "Enzo, go get dressed. We have the icon ceremony at 1200."

Enzo ran into his room to get dressed. Dot finished her java and got dressed as well, then she headed to the Principle Office.

Tessa showed Hexadecimal the photo album, pointing to various pictures and saying what Enzo had told her.

"See, Hex — this is Enzo's family. They looked very happy."

"That they did," Hex murmured, taking the album and studying some of the pictures.

"Hex," Tessa surprised her by asking, "are _we_ like a family?"

"Of course, my darling," the registered virus said, laying a hand on her charge's hairless head.

Tessa smiled. "I want you and Enzo to be my family."

Hex smiled back. Tessa reminded her of the younger format of the game sprite AndrAIa, for the short time she had been in Mainframe. Hex flipped through the pages. Tessa's words still ran through her processor.

__

"I want you and Enzo to be my family."

Maybe some of that was possible. . . .

"Good morning, Phong," Dot said, seating herself in front of his desk.

"Ah, good morning, my child," Phong replied, wiping the cocoa mustache off his face. "Is everything ready for the icon ceremony?"

"Mouse has the machine ready; we decided it would take place in the Twin City, so we need to bring it there; and we need to have everyone there before we start," Dot replied. "I think that's all."

"No; there's something more." Dot looked surprised. Phong continued, "Hexadecimal just contacted me" — he looked (uncharacteristically) slightly disgruntled — "saying that she wishes to adopt Tessali."

"Whoa, Phong — _adopt Tessa_? And when did Hex reach this decision?"

"Just this morning," he replied. "She said looking at the photo album Tessa showed her, from you, prompted her to think about family."

Dot rubbed her forehead with her hand. "And how are we going to incorporate that into today?"

"Do not worry, my child — it has already been planned as part of the procedures, after the Twin City citizens and the traders take part."

Dot took a deep breath. "All right. Is there anything else, Phong?"

The wise old sprite shook his head. "No — oh, Dot," he added as she stood up, "Hexadecimal gave me this to give back to you," and he handed her the photo album.

"Thanks, Phong," Dot said. She pocketed the album and zipped quickly back to the Diner and put it in her room. It was almost time for the procedure; she rushed back to the Principle Office to meet Mouse.

When 1200 approached, everyone was ready. Bob, Dot, Mouse, Ray, Matrix, AndrAIa, Phong, the traders, and the Twin City's populace stood on the edge of the City; Mainframe was still in sight. The Mainframers (and the two Protectors were surely there as well) stood on a raised platform; the small transfer machine was in the middle, glowing slightly as it powered up.

Phong lowered the microphone in the middle of the stage and spoke into it. "My children, we are all here to witness a ceremony that will bring us closer together. We will bind these sprites and binomes — traders from a nearby system who wish to stay with us for protection, and the long-lost citizens from the Twin City, across the data sea — to Mainframe citizenship with this machine, built by Mouse."

There was assorted clapping; Dot noticed that her father's face was stony, and he did not clap at Phong's words. Neither did Del or Harm.

"First will come the traders, who have traveled from faraway systems in search of a sanctuary in this war. We are pleased to give them a temporary home."

One by one the traders stepped onto the stage. The first to go was Captain Rif, who, for once, didn't look gruff. He turned his icon, and the small light of his code flew into the machine; it appeared as a red blip on the screen. He nodded to the Mainframers and stepped off the platform. The other traders followed, performing the same thing. When Kirstie Acos and her two children stepped up to the machine and gave their codes, she smiled at the Mainframers, her eyes bright with tears of joy. Ric and Midi were beaming.

When all of the traders had released their codes into the machine, Mouse pressed a button. The machine shook and emitted a whirring sound. On the screen, a golden light washed over the red blips, sealing in individual Mainframe citizenship codes and the Norton program into each icon. A few sprites closed their eyes and smiled as they felt a slight twinge in their codes, and an overwhelming feeling of warmth.

Mouse pressed another button, and the small glowing lights returned to each sprite. Then — man and woman, sprite and binome — each touched his or her icon. Each icon now bore the Mainframe symbol of a two-toned diamond against the black-and-white circle. They looked up to the Mainframers standing on the platform and cheered.

"It's beautiful," AndrAIa whispered.

"A right pretty thing," Mouse commented.

Dot's chest tightened. "Now it's time for the Cities' citizens," she whispered.

Tessa watched the icon ceremony through Hex's mirror in her Lair. She looked back at the registered virus. "Hex, how come we aren't in the City?"

Hex smiled mysteriously. "We will be going soon, my dear Tessali. I have a special surprise for you."

Tessa smiled widely and continued watching.

Far away from the rejoice in Mainframe, turmoil was present in the dark depths of the Web. Inside Daemon's base, the powerful creature twitched a coil in agitation. 

* Guardian! * she screamed.

The Prime Guardian rushed into the room. "Yes, Mistress Daemon," he murmured, bowing deeply and touching his head to the floor.

The creature's spirit writhed; her anger was shown as lines of text on the large machine's screen. * I know where one of my children is. *

"You felt her?" the Guardian asked.

Daemon replied, * No, I feel nothing from her now. But she is still there. My spies in Mainframe have told me that she was registered to the system * -- she hissed in distaste -- * and taken in, and by the registered virus, no less! Contact the two Guardians there, and have them take her. *

"To delete her, Mistress?" the infected Guardian asked uncertainly.

Daemon's reply came after a nanosecond of thought. * No. She has not matured fully; she can still be used to my advantage. Tell the Guardians to capture and subdue her. They will send her to me. *

"Of course, Daemon," Turbo murmured, bowing once more before he left.

Turbo made a good, obedient slave now, as he had been deleted and fully infected a few seconds ago. The dried energy had been washed away, and he had covered the bullet hole in his back with a heavy jacket. To any other sprite, he would look alive, except for those who knew the Infection's signs: dead, dull gray skin, the veins that had spread over his face and into his eyes — eyes that were just as the other Guardians': empty, filled with something other than Turbo.

He thumbed a communicator to Attack Team Five. "Covin Permut."

"Yes, sir," the infected Guardian replied.

"Your orders are these: kidnap the girl-child and keep her until she is ready to be sent back to Daemon. If Hexadecimal gives you any trouble, _delete her_."

If Covin had been living, he would have replied with something like, "My pleasure." Instead he only said, "Yes, sir."

Hex took Tessa's hand. "Come, dear. It's time for us to appear."

Tessa smiled and grasped Hex's hand. The registered virus concentrated, and they were bathed in sparkles — 

Behind them, one of the Lair's many entryways opened, and they heard the soft _tap_ as a sprite jumped to the ground. They dropped hands and whirled around as a tall male sprite approached them. They couldn't see his face, but his white hair glowed in the dim light — as did the veins covering his face.

"Give me the child," he ordered in a cold voice. "Mistress Daemon commands it."

Hex's eyes opened wide. "No, never!" she cried, pushing Tessa behind her. The little child tried to peek through Hex's cape to see the strange man asking for her.

The infected Guardian saw her. "Come, child," he sneered. "I'm here to take you back where you came from." He reached for her.

"No! She is mine!" Hexadecimal screamed. She flung the stranger against the wall in rage. He rolled to his feet, seemingly unharmed, and charged for her. Hex thrust Tessa behind her chair as she faced off against the Guardian.

They circled one another restlessly, as Tessa watched in fear from her hiding spot. Hex had extended her claws, and the Guardian's hand rested on his gun.

Hex rose a few feet into the air and hovered over the ground; anticipating an attack, the Guardian rested his foot against the wall and gripped the handle of his gun.

Suddenly, Hex charged. With a cry of rage, she flew straight for the Guardian. He pushed himself off from the wall and jumped through the air. They met in mid-air; he kicked Hex sharply, and they both landed: he on his feet, but she stumbled.

Hex angrily hurled wave after wave of energy at him; but each time, he emerged impossibly strong.

"You'll never take her!" Hex screamed.

"That, virus, is where you're wrong," the Guardian snarled. He pulled out his gun and shot at Hex. A restraining command burst from the gun and bound Hex's arms to her sides and forced her to the ground. She thrashed, but the restraining command steadily drained her energy. Hex howled in fury, and the Lair was suddenly awash in light. Everything was hurled into the air, including the two remaining sprites. Then she fell still, and they hurtled to the ground.

The Guardian grabbed Tessa's arms before she could move, and he bound her with a restraining order. She tried to scream, but he gagged her. Helpless, Tessa was carried off by the infected Guardian, leaving Hex bound in her own lair.

Hex gnashed her teeth and screamed again, sending up a thick beam of viral energy.

Five milliseconds earlier . . .

Phong returned to the microphone. "We are overjoyed by the return of our friends and family from the Twin City; and we are even happier to give them citizenship in Mainframe." There was more clapping, and then the audience waited for the citizens from the Twin City to step forward.

None of them moved.

Dot's throat was tight; she tried to swallow and found she couldn't do so.

"What's going on?" Bob whispered.

Standing between Matrix and Enzo, Rasta Mon lowered his shades and gazed steadily at the still City sprites. "It's just what I thought —" he murmured.

Suddenly, there was movement. Del slowly made her way through the crowd to the platform. She took a deep breath and looked back at Welman. Then she faced forward and started up the stairs.

Dot let her breath go in a huge sigh as Del stood in front of the machine. The young woman pressed a shaking finger to her icon, then stopped. She took a deep breath, closed her eyes; and Dot thought she heard her best friend whisper, "Have to keep up appearances."

It all took less than half a millisecond. Del now wore a look of content on her face. She reached again for her icon, when —

A loud screech reached them from Mainframe's direction. Every head turned to see what was going on.

A bright pillar of light exploded from the top of Hexadecimal's Lair in Lost Angles, and another anguished cry floated toward them on the breeze.

Bob jumped into a portal; Matrix and AndrAIa jumped on their zip-boards and hurried to Lost Angles.

A loud gasp rose from the crowd. They began to talk hurriedly among themselves, some raising their voices to others.

Dot took the microphone from Phong and addressed the sprites and binomes. "Please, don't panic. We'll find out what happened, then we'll get back to —" But it was no use. No one was listening to her, too worried by the sudden surge from Hex's Lair.

Bob arrived first in Hex's Lair. He looked around, but the only one there was Hex, bound and screaming. He ran over to her and lay his hand on the ropes binding her, but he immediately jerked his hand back as one of the ropes reached out to drain the energy from his hand.

"A restraining command? But why?" Bob quickly used some Glitch energy to burn through the ropes, and Hex was freed. She immediately jumped up with an enraged howl, but she fell back down and curled up into a ball. Bob carefully turned her on her side. Hex's face was pale, and her body limp.

"Well, Bob?" Matrix asked, running in, AndrAIa by his side. "What happened?"

Bob rose to his feet. "It looks like someone broke in and tried to steal something. When Hex attacked him — or her — the intruder bound her with a restraining command. See?" They looked down at the trembling, exhausted virus.

"The only other time I've ever seen her like this is when Megabyte tried to merge with her, and she used up all her energy trying to repel him. Whatever the person tried to steal, it must mean a lot to her."

"Well, all of her paintings are intact, I think," AndrAIa observed, looking around. "So is her looking glass, and her chair. What then —" Her eyes widened. "Tessa!"

"But why Tessa?" Matrix asked. "What does she have to do with anything?"

"She did come mysteriously, and through a portal. She must be from another system; someone from that system probably came to take her back," Bob tried to reason. He shook his head. "No, there wouldn't be this much of a fight if that were the case."

"We need to get back to Dot and the others, and tell them," AndrAIa said.

"No, we need to find whoever kidnapped Tessa and take her back," Matrix argued.

Bob shook his head. "No, Enzo; AndrAIa's right. Let's go back and tell them — then we can set to getting Tessa back." They left without another word.

When they appeared back on the edge of the Twin City, Dot rushed to them. "What's going on?" she asked Bob.

"Someone captured Tessa," he explained grimly, and added the other details.

"Let's go back to the Principle Office," Dot said. "We can do a system search from there." Bob, Matrix, and AndrAIa nodded. "Mouse and Ray, could you two stay here and take care of the crowd?" Dot asked. They nodded.

The four sprites zipped to Mainframe's Principle Office, leaving Mouse, Ray, and Phong with the anxious crowds.

Welman Matrix stepped forward. "I demand to know what is going on," he said icily.

"Well, we don't know," Mouse snapped. "So ya'll just have ta shut up and wait like the rest o' us." Welman looked shocked, but he stepped down.

"He was annoyin' me," Mouse muttered. Ray rubbed her arm reassuringly.

"Me too, love. Uh-oh," he added, when he saw that a small fight had begun. "I'll be back in a nano . . ."

Mouse crossed her arms over her chest and watched the crowds as Ray tried to break up some conflicting sprites.

She heard a sound behind her. Mouse whirled around to see some citizens from the Twin City banging on the icon machine with tools. The sides were already dented considerably, and one was working on the controls.

"What are you doing?" she shouted.

The binomes said nothing but kept working. One pulled open a plate and ripped apart several wires. He smiled at the enraged hacker, and they jumped off the platform and ran back to the cluster of houses far away.

The machine gave a sick-sounding beep and died. Mouse frantically opened up the power console, to find a mouthful of smoke and that the power generator had been cracked — by one of the City binomes. But why?

Dot had contacted an ambulance on her organizer, and Hexadecimal was on her way to the Mainframe General Hospital. The Command.com turned back to the other three puzzled sprites. "Now, have we found out anything?"

"I checked for signs of anything leaving Mainframe," AndrAIa replied. "No portals, ships, nothing."

"Then whoever took Tessa is still here," Matrix said.

Dot looked to Bob, who was sitting on a console, his eyes closed tightly in concentration. "Bob?"

He replied without opening his eyes, "I'm using Glitch to check the system for unwanted life forms. I haven't come up with anything yet."

Dot sighed and rubbed her temple with one hand. "Who would want to do this? No one in Mainframe has a motive against Tessa; and not anyone in the Twin City, I think."

"I think I've got it!" Bob announced. The other three turned eagerly to him, and he explained, "I've located something definitely unwelcome here: a keytool."

Dot's core-com skipped a beat. "A Guardian. Probably more than one, to pull off something like this. Where is it, Bob?"

"The signal's coming from Mr. Pearson's Data Dump," Bob answered.

"Of course!" Matrix gasped. He looked at Dot. "What Frisket sensed yesterday." She nodded.

They wasted no time in zipping over, with the CPUs right behind them.

"The signal's getting weaker," Bob warned, and they quickened their pace. He frowned, his eyes narrowed. "It's definitely from a keytool — but what's weird is, this keytool is calling _out_ to me. Willingly. It's in the possession of an infected Guardian against its will."

He was met with blank stares. "Hey, I'm part-keytool now," he argued with a small smile.

The signal was located at the mounds of waste behind Mr. Pearson's shed. The sprites started forward, when they heard shouting. They looked back to see Mr. Pearson, bound to a conveyer belt on its way to a waste-eraser. A few CPUs rushed to save him, while the rest accompanied the four sprites.

"They're behind one of these mounds, I'm sure of it," Bob said, gesturing around them.

A bullet whizzed past them. They ducked behind a mound of waste as more bullets were shot. Finally, when the shooting eased, Bob looked around the mound at the shooter.

A Guardian probably his age crouched over the top of a mound, a gun in his hand. From this distance, Bob could see that he had cinnamon skin and glowing white hair, but he couldn't discern any real features. His partner, a young woman with long pink hair and blue-gray skin, held the bound and gagged figure of Tessa tightly.

Bob ducked back down. "I could be wrong, but I think the guy Guardian is Covin — um, Covin Permut. He was in some of my classes at the Academy. I don't know who the girl is, though." 

"We have the child!" Covin called. "Do not shoot, or we will delete her!"

AndrAIa had also risked a look, and now she shook her head at the others. "They wouldn't delete Tessa; they've gone to too much trouble to capture her. How basic do they think we are?"

"What do you want with her?" Bob called over the mound, making sure the Guardians could hear him but couldn't see his face or have a clear shot at him.

"She is one of Daemon's Children," Covin replied. "She is required, to help continue the Infection's rule. Our Mistress needs her, as she needs hosts." His eyes narrowed. "You, Guardian, have no business to know." He shot another bullet, but Bob flinched, and it was lodged in a pile of waste in front of them.

Dot's forehead wrinkled. "Hosts?" she whispered to Matrix and AndrAIa. They both shrugged, as confused as she. 

Dot carefully eased herself up so she could see the Guardians and Tessa. She studied them, then ducked back down. "I think I've got a plan for this."

"Go, Dot!" Matrix whispered, grinning.

Bob ducked back down. "What's the plan?"

Dot explained quickly and quietly, "If one or two of us can distract them, then the others can grab Tessa."

Bob raised an eyebrow. "Go right in, huh, Dot?"

"AndrAIa and I have the distraction ready, don't we, Dre?" Matrix asked. She nodded.

Dot nodded. "All right. Then Bob and I will grab Tessa."

Matrix leaned up and watched the Guardians. His eye rotated, and two targets appeared on their faces. The woman touched her forehead and looked, perplexed, at her partner. 

Matrix rushed from the side of the mound, running toward a broken-down CPU. AndrAIa was a nano behind him. The Guardians shot at them, but the two sprites dodged the bullets, and they dove behind the CPU. They waited as bullets rained down on the side of the transport. Matrix jumped up and shot two clear shots that struck the Guardians in the foreheads, at the same time that AndrAIa let five of her paralyzing nails fly. They dropped, and the woman let go of Tessa, who tumbled over the side of the mound.

Bob and Dot rushed forward. She picked up Tessa and pulled the gag out of her mouth. "How are you, honey?" she whispered, stroking the girl's bald head. Tessa looked at Dot, her dark eyes shining with joy but also great fear. Then, exhausted, she fell against Dot's shoulder.

Bob leaned over the side of the mound and stooped by the two motionless Guardians. He detached a keytool from the woman's belt and attached it to his arm for the time being. He chirped a few incomprehensible words to it, then he ran back to the others.

"Is Tessa all right?" he asked.

Dot nodded. "Otherwise from being scared out of her processor."

"Good," Bob said. "Let's go."

They met the CPUs and Mr. Pearson near the shed. As they prepared to go, they heard shouts behind them, and they whirled around in fear.

The two Guardians were climbing over the side of the mound toward them.

"But — but that's impossible!" Matrix shouted. "I shot them head-on! They should be deleted!"

AndrAIa glanced back at him. "Maybe you missed." Matrix gave her a look that said "I _don't_ miss" and he looked back at the Guardians, worried. "Don't worry, I'll get them," she added. Her nails lengthened. "These ones will keep them down for a _long_ time." She shot the nails; and before they could take another step, the two Guardians dropped like stones.

The five sprites and the CPUs zipped back to the Principle Office.

Dot handed the sleeping Tessa to Matrix and rushed to her office. She rebooted into her leather jumpsuit and fitted on her headset.

"Citizens of Mainframe," she said, her voice reaching out to everyone in the system, "do not travel to the lower levels. I repeat, do not travel to the lower levels. We believe there are several intruders hiding out in Mainframe. The Data Dump is under guard starting today. If you live in the lower levels, come to the Principle Office for security."

She set down the headset with shaking hands. "They're here," she whispered. Bob came over and enfolded her in his arms, rubbing her back reassuringly. "Here, in our own system, and we didn't know it," Dot whispered into his shoulder.

Matrix ordered some CPUs to take Tessa to the Mainframe General Hospital with Hex. He turned back to the other three and heaved a sigh. "What if there are more in the Twin City?"

"The Twin City!" Dot gasped, pulling away from Bob. "I forgot all about the icon ceremony. Let's go."

At Dot's command, squads of CPUs rushed to guard the Data Dump. But in a corner, sheltered by a mound of waste, two sprites crouched, taking care of their injuries.

Covin wiped the last of the energy from his forehead. He felt the bullet hole in the middle of his forehead and grimaced. Blair was in the same situation. She yanked one of AndrAIa's nails from her neck and snapped it in two, hissing angrily under her breath. Neither of them could feel the pain — or certain deletion — the injuries would have brought on, but they were still furious, and anxious besides.

"We failed," Blair said in a low voice. "And — 452 took Diode from me. With the keytool — I don't know what they'll do. Mistress Daemon will surely subject us to some torture." She shivered.

Covin bit his lip. It drew energy, but he hardly noticed. "Then we will have to redeem ourselves, in the battle. We will delete these bothersome sprites."

Blair grinned viciously, her eyes burning. "I will be glad to delete them all."

Mouse had heard the announcement, too. When the four returned to the platform, she stood waiting, a grim look of determination on her face. Her eyes softened when she saw the look of anguish on Dot's face.

"It wasn't yer fault, Dot," she said. She grimaced. "We all knew this would happen sooner or later."

"Thanks, Mouse," Dot whispered. "By the way, we can't finish the icon procedure today, not after all that happened."

"It wouldn't have happened anyway." The hacker gestured to the broken machine.

AndrAIa's eyebrows shot up. "Who did this?"

"Some of yer friends from the Twin City," Mouse replied, staring at the Matrixes.

Dot frowned. "But why?" she asked helplessly.

"That's what Ah wanted ta know," Mouse replied. "Ah smell a rat — or a saboteur. Someone who didn't want the procedure to go on."

Dot looked back, to the assorted crowds; they had all quieted as the four returned, waiting for news.

Dot stepped forward and addressed them all. "A Mainframer was kidnapped today," she said, "and — and at least two infected Guardians have slipped into Mainframe." A collective gasp rose, followed by murmurs and whispers.

Welman stepped onto the platform. "It looks like even Mainframe is penetrable," he said; he spoke to Dot, but also loud enough so everyone present could hear.

Bob came to Dot's side. "Look, if we all band together —"

"Shut up!" Welman snarled. Dot gasped, but he ignored his daughter. "You, Guardian, have no right to tell us what we should do. You and your friends from Mainframe — you are not welcome here, in the Twin City. You are not true City sprites, and therefore you will have nothing to do with my system or my children."

"That's not true!" Dot cried viciously, stepping forward to her father. Enzo and Matrix backed her up, staring in surprise, confusion, and anger at their father.

Welman stood his ground, even when Bob, AndrAIa, Mouse, Ray, and Phong came forward as well. "Get out of the Twin City," he commanded, his voice low and grating. "You are no longer allowed here."

"Fine," Dot said her voice much stronger than she felt. The Mainframe sprites turned and slowly walked away.

"Bob," Matrix began, "do you think AndrAIa and I could —"

Bob smiled tiredly. "Sure, Enzo. Anytime."

Matrix smiled in the same weary way. He took AndrAIa's arm, and they zipped back to Mainframe.

Mouse and Ray passed them, on his Baud. The hacker, carrying the icon machine, shook her head. "Ah think those sprites are just too good ta be true. Ah'm sorry, Dot."

"I agree with her," Bob said quietly, squeezing Dot's hand.

"So do I," she whispered. She looked up at Bob, tears in her eyes. Bob created a portal, and they stepped through it. It hovered open for a few more nanoseconds, as they waited for Phong.

The old sprite studied Welman Matrix. The green-skinned sprite, for his part, glared angrily back.

"What happened to you, my son?" Phong whispered. He turned and rolled into the portal, and it closed behind him.

The only ones left in the disaster of the icon procedure were Rasta Mon and Stripe. They prepared to leave.

"Tough crowd," Rasta Mon commented sarcastically. "I wonder what their Protectors are like. . . ."

As the two Protectors turned to go, Rasta Mon stopped in his tracks. "What in the Net!" he gasped. "Stripe, look at this!"

She rolled her eyes. "We've had far too many mishaps today, Ras. Come on; we need to go."

"_Stripe_," Rasta Mon urged, his voice strange, "_look_."

She sighed and did as he said; but the next moment, a horrified and perplexed look swept over her features.

The Twin City's citizens stood in a tight circle, whispering furiously among themselves. Usually, one Protector could see another, even when sprites couldn't. No celestial beings hovered above or near the citizens, though.

"It's impossible," Rasta Mon hissed. It was. Normal, living sprites had Protectors; there was no way around it.

Stripe watched the sprites finish their conversation and head back to their homes. She shook her head, confused and helpless. "They're . . . empty," she said.

Rasta Mon shook his head. "No, not empty. They're living, breathing sprites — but whatever's keeping them alive ain't your average life force."


	9. 5: War Plans

CHAPTER FIVE

WAR PLANS

The young binome tightened her grip on the green teddy bear she held. Her one eye nervously watched the many binomes around them, but her mother put a hand on her shoulder, a sign to not wander.

All of the citizens of Mainframe had been crowded into the Principle Office the second after Tessa's kidnap during the semi-fluke of the icon procedure. Since then, rumors — and only rumors, because none of the sprites would talk about it — had been said that communications between Mainframe and the Twin Cities had been destroyed after Welman Matrix had vehemently talked back to Guardian Bob.

Everyone had known this time would come. A few seconds after the system reboot they had all been called to the Principle Office. The heroes of Mainframe had come to stand before them; strong but scared inside, though the citizens couldn't see that. The same sprites stood before them today, with the exception of Mouse the hacker and her companion, the Surfr Ray, who had left on a mission to find information about Daemon and visit various systems in hope of finding some aid in the upcoming war.

Back on that second, when they realized that all was not well, that the euphoria of the restart was not going to last for long, Dot Matrix had been the one to step forward and announce the news of Daemon.

__

"There is a new evil in the Net; a super-virus called Daemon." . . .

The girl binome had been there for that news; and Dot's words had sent shivers through each and everyone's processors. They all knew what it meant: the war was back, and all they could do was plan and fight.

The teddy bear slipped through her fingers, and the girl bent to retrieve it.

No one — especially a child — should have to experience war and its factors: pain, destruction, loneliness. . . . The thought that they would all have to go through this again — and more — made the girl binome's stomach churn violently.

She looked back to the stuffed toy. Its green stitched face smiled up blankly at her; and for a moment, she smiled back and held the comfort object tightly to her.

She wanted to keep thinking happy thoughts. But it seemed that with each passing second it grew harder and harder to do so. The girl sniffed and reached out for her father's hand. He clutched her hand tightly. Her mother put an arm around her, and the child burrowed into her parents' embrace, wanting only to be away from this place.

Dot sighed as she watched the citizens gathered in the Principle Office's hall. They looked so scared and bewildered; they all knew of Daemon and the war, but none of them knew how Mainframe was going to stop her. _It's our job to give them solace,_ she thought. _It's up to us to keep Mainframe together in this time._

Standing behind her, Bob rubbed her shoulders comfortingly. "Time for you to go up," he whispered in her ear. "Give `em something to cheer about, Dot," he said, and his voice held a ring of his old humor.

Dot smiled at her love. "I will," she replied softly. She moved away from Bob and came to the podium in the front of the room.

"Citizens of Mainframe," she said; and immediately, they fell silent.

"Got to hand it to her — to them," Kode muttered from his spot in the crowd. "They really respect those sprites."

Dot looked out at the faces of every citizen of Mainframe: young and old, male and female, all innocents. "As you all know now, at least two of Daemon's infected Guardians penetrated Mainframe somehow and hid out in Level 31. They were taken care of the other second." She didn't say the real truth, which was that while Covin and Blair had been struck unconscious, they were missing as of that second and their bodies hadn't been spotted by the CPUs sent to guard the lower levels of the system.

"We know that the time to defeat Daemon is fast approaching, and so we have developed plans for attack on her and her armies." The seven sprites and the most trusted CPU binomes — from all the way back to the war over Mainframe — had met together the previous downtime, to put together real plans and determine each sprite and binome's part in the preparations. "Now I will tell you what will be done."

Dot paused to glance back at the others, to make sure that they were ready. Matrix gave her a thumbs-up, and she felt reassured.

She turned back to the podium and said, "Bob and Matrix will begin training CPUs to fly to the Supercomputer to fight Daemon's armies in a surprise attack.

"AndrAIa is our new head engineer, in Mouse's absence." The game sprite looked mildly surprised, then nodded, as if she had partly known that was going to happen. "She is continuing Mouse's plan to shield our CPUs. I myself am working with Phong to look for information within this system about Daemon — to analyze it to find some sort of weakness.

"This, the shielding, and the training will take a while, but today starts the preparations before the time is on us."

Bob stepped forward and spoke, "We'll be ready for Daemon when the time comes."

"And when will that time come?" Mr. Pearson asked; it wasn't an argument, just a question.

Dot swallowed and glanced at Bob. "We don't know yet," she said. It took a moment for the grim answer to sink in. "Mainframe _will_ be ready," Dot finished, her voice strong, so that the sentence sounded like a sure promise. "We will be."

The crowds of binomes slowly dispersed. Many stayed back; some wanted to talk with the sprites, and others just wanted to feel the security of the Principle Office's walls.

When some Mainframers asked Dot if things would be all right, all she could say was "Yes." Of course, no one had any idea how the war would turn out, but they didn't want to weigh the citizens down with doubts and fears. 

Dot remembered seeing a young binome girl talking quietly to AndrAIa. The girl carried a teddy bear that, Dot noted with a smile, was green and dressed in a Guardian uniform but had a strand of Mouse's hair on its head. As she watched, AndrAIa spoke a few words to the girl and hugged her; and when the binome pulled away, the bear bore a small shell on its outfit.

Dot scanned the room until her eyes fell on Enzo, sitting on a bench kicking his legs aimlessly. She glanced at Bob; he nodded. The two of them threaded their way through the departing binomes to the bench where Enzo sat.

Enzo looked up, and he smiled his wide smile. Dot noted with shock that the smile wasn't as bright as it used to be, and his voice, when he spoke, was soft. "Hey, Bob. Hey, Dot. How's everything going?"

The Guardian swallowed hard; his eyes showed no trace of mirth. He took a seat next to Enzo. "Enzo, Dot and I have something we need to talk to you about," he said solemnly.

"Okay." Enzo nodded a little nervously.

Dot sat too and took Enzo's small hands in her own. "Enzo, we love you so much. And I know things are different than they used to be — with the war." She bit her lip. She was afraid of telling Enzo too much, or too little.

"Enzo, we won't beat around the bush," Bob said. "The war's getting pretty bad. So far, we haven't met any systems that have been able to resist Daemon, except for those traders who came, and they're only a few. That's where Mouse and Ray are going; to find systems — or at least sprites and binomes — who have resisted Daemon, and ask them to help us."

"But what if they don't?" Enzo asked.

Bob sighed. "We don't think they will find anyone; or those they find will get infected. Daemon's very powerful, and I think she's capable of nearly anything."

Dot shook her head in violent protest. Tears pricked her eyes, but she fiercely didn't let them fall.

"Oh, Dot," Enzo whispered. It scared him tremendously to see his sister cry. He wrapped his arms around her waist and buried his head in her side. "Please, Dot, don't cry!"

"I'm fine, Enzo," she said. Her voice shook for a note, but she steadied herself. She framed his face in her hands and studied him for several nanos. He had a face like an innocent, shining cherub. Dot remembered how, in the war against Megabyte for Mainframe, she had seen new shadows darken his face every second, as Enzo saw violent and horrifying things. Then, he had become Matrix. That Enzo had become consumed by the shadows — No. No, Dot thought. Enzo's coming back had been like a second chance for both of them. She had vowed never to let Enzo learn those things. She wouldn't let the shadows darken his face and his soul.

__

If I had one wish, it would be that Enzo would not have to grow up with this war, Dot thought. She remembered the countless times she had thought this helpless thought, and her throat constricted painfully.

Dot kissed his forehead. "Promise me, Little Brother, that you'll stay by my side all the time," she said softly. "_Unless_ -- Enzo, unless I end up in danger —"

"No," Enzo protested. 

"Unless I end up in danger," Dot repeated, "and I tell you to go. Go to Bob, or Matrix, or AndrAIa. They'll keep you safe if I can't."

"No, Dot," Enzo said. "I can't — I won't let you —"

"_Enzo_," she said, and her voice was fiercely compassionate, "I know you want to help us in this war. But you are so young, and I can't bear for anything to happen to you, on accident or on purpose. Promise me, Enzo."

Enzo's lower lip trembled. "I love you, Dot," he whispered.

"I love you too," she said. "Please."

"Okay," Enzo said. "I promise, Dot."

Dot hugged Enzo tightly. Bob wrapped his arms around the Matrix siblings. 

"Thank you, Enzo," Dot said.

They sat there for several nanoseconds. Enzo felt a twinge in his core-com. He had been so happy when the system had restarted, and everyone had been safe and well — and Bob and Dot, together! But it had all darkened when that announcement about Daemon's existence had been made. Enzo didn't act like it, but he was frightened, more than he had ever been. Bob and Dot's words shook him terribly; and for the first time, he thought he was going to lose his childhood, just like Matrix. A silent tear slid down his cheek, but he quickly wiped it away.

Dot reluctantly pulled back. "You should be getting to school, Enzo," she said.

Enzo sighed. "Do I have to?" Suddenly, he thought of something. "Dot, could we visit the hospital?"

Dot bit her lip in thought. Finally she said, "I think you'd be allowed time off school to visit."

Enzo jumped off the bench in excitement. "Alphanumeric! I haven't seen Tessa for a full second! Will you come too, Bob?"

The Guardian shook his head. "Sorry, Enzo. I'm late as it is. Matrix and I start training _today_."

"Oh, right." Again, Enzo felt that twinge. He pushed it away and tried to act tough. "That's fine. I'll see you later, Bob."

Bob rested a hand on his shoulder for a nano. He smiled, but it was tinged with sadness. "Go, Enzo."

He squeezed Enzo's shoulder reassuringly, then he let go, gave Dot a kiss, and created a portal, which he disappeared into.

Dot took Enzo's hand. "C'mon, Enzo. Let's go visit Tessa and Hexadecimal."

"Hey, Bob." Matrix tried to smile when the Guardian entered the room, but it looked more like a grimace.

"Hey, Enzo," Bob said. "Are they all here?"

Matrix nodded. Bob looked to the lines of binomes standing in front of them. Before they had come, they had all been briefed on Daemon: who she was, what Mainframe knew of her infection, on both sprites and systems, and the power of her and her armies. The Mainframers had listened to the information with grim and even some scared looks, but they had swallowed it all and now waited for instruction.

Bob looked back to the younger sprite. "You ever had to train sprites?"

"Tons of times," Matrix replied. "In lots of systems."

"Did they live through it?" Bob muttered, as a half-joke.

Matrix narrowed his eyes. "Of course they did. There was even a kid that reminded me of — myself. I mean, Enzo." He didn't say any more; but Bob could see that Matrix was thinking about Enzo's innocence as much as the rest of them.

"You?" Matrix asked.

"Hmm? Oh, me," Bob said. "Uh, yeah, I taught some classes in self-defense to Guardian cadets at the Academy — before Glitch chose me, and I ended up in Mainframe. A lot of the sprites I taught made it to full-fledged Guardians, and some even got to go to systems instead of working traffic patrol," he said proudly. Then his expression sobered as he looked out at the lines of binomes waiting. "These binomes won't be so lucky."

Matrix said nothing as he studied the binomes. They all looked tense and anxious; but they were also excited and ready to serve Mainframe. He looked to Bob and smiled a small smile. "Ready?"

The Guardian nodded and stepped forward. The binomes saw him and fell quiet, watching him with wide, expectant eyes.

"First off, I'd like to thank you for offering your services to Mainframe in the war," Bob said. He smiled warmly at everyone, and they smiled in return. "Your dedication to our home is a wonderful thing to see. Matrix" — he nodded at the large sprite — "and I will teach you all we know about attacks and plans, so that when the time comes you will be ready."

Matrix interrupted, "You'll attack your enemies head-on, with all the force you can."

Bob frowned at the younger sprite. That hadn't been how he had wanted to explain the plan; it sounded as if they were going to send the binomes into full battle, without _any_ training. Out of the side of his vision, he noticed some of the binomes growing nervous, and he quickly stepped in front of Matrix.

"What Matrix means, is we'll teach you stealth and surprise; and when the time comes for battle, you'll all be strong and ready."

The binomes let out a collective sigh of relief. Matrix glanced at Bob, slightly irritated that Bob had needed to intervene on his words. The expression disappeared, then, and he took a deep breath. Bob did the same, to stay calm.

"If you'll follow us, Matrix and I will teach you several drills in your transports." The binomes followed them to the hangars.

The nurse led Dot and Enzo to Room 16, where Hexadecimal and Tessa were staying. She carefully opened the door, and Enzo poked his head through. They couldn't see much, except for the still form of Hex, lying on a hospital bed, breathing slowly.

"Remember to be quiet; she hasn't gotten much sleep," the nurse instructed. Dot remembered that when Hex had first been brought in, no one seemed to approve; but she was a person in need, and they couldn't deny her. "And keep the visit to a maximum of ten milliseconds."

Dot nodded. "Thank you very much," she said. The nurse smiled and left to check on other patients.

"Tessa?" Enzo called softly as he and Dot entered the room.

The girl was sprawled in a chair besides Hex's bed. At the sound of Enzo's voice, she raised her head. A slow smile tinged with weariness, spread across her face. "Hi, Enzo," she whispered. "Hi, Dot."

Dot put an arm around the girl's shoulders. "How are you doing, Tessa?" she asked in concern, for there were dark lines under her eyes, and she fought a yawn. "Did you get any sleep?"

"Sort of," Tessa answered sheepishly. "I — I've been watching over Hex. She woke a couple times, but mostly she's been sleeping. She seems okay, and I'm happy."

Dot hugged her around the shoulders. "Hexadecimal is very lucky, to have someone as kind and devoted as you to watch over her." Tessa smiled, a little embarrassed.

"We just came to check up on you guys," Dot said. "I need to get Enzo to school, anyway. Tessa, would you like to come to the Diner with me? Hex will be fine here."

Tessa smiled but shook her head. "I'd like to stay here, please," she said, her voice soft but determined. "I'm sure the doctors and nurses are great, but I would like to be here for Hexadecimal. Thank you."

Dot nodded. Enzo hugged Tessa, and then they left. Tessa waved and whispered, "Good-bye" as they left the room, quietly shutting the door behind them.

"She's really devoted to staying with Hex," Enzo commented as they zipped through the sectors.

Dot smiled. "Hexadecimal did sort of adopt Tessa in her early seconds here, and she let her stay in Lost Angles when she was alone." Enzo glanced away, guiltily remembering his earlier dislike of Tessa for her looks.

"C'mon, Little Brother," Dot said with a wry smile, "time for _you_ to get to school."

Enzo sighed, but he and Dot zipped to his school, where she dropped him off and headed back to the Principle Office.

__

It seems like I've been spending all my seconds here lately, she thought sadly. _Seconds of planning, and waiting, and new, unknown happenings. That's life, I guess. For now, at least._

In her personal office, Dot settled into a chair and fitted on a headset. She opened a VidWindow at her left and typed in a frequency. The window fizzed with static for several moments, then finally Mouse's face broke through the static, grinning. "Hey, Dot." Dot nodded in reply, glad that her friends were all right so far. Mouse continued, "We took off fine; nobody noticed, since they were all busy at the P.O. hearing your plan."

"The less who know you left the better," Dot said. "Are you and Ray ready?"

Mouse nodded, a look of fierce determination in her brown eyes. "We check fer systems that can help, then give you the list," she said, reciting the short plan. "And hopefully, we'll find out more about Daemon -- `specially since her Guardians are here now."

"Net protect you, Mouse," Dot said with a sad smile.

"Same ta you." Mouse smiled, then disconnected the communications, and Dot was sitting by herself in her office.

"Let's go, then," Ray said as Mouse turned off the communications. Ship hovered right outside the portal surrounding Mainframe. In front of them was the dark Web.

Mouse thumbed the controls, and Ship's engines glowed white. She took a deep breath and pressed the button, and they shot off, following a plan that would lead them to unknown systems and sprites.

There was a knock on the hospital room's door. Tessa opened it to see not only Enzo and Dot, but also Bob, and even Matrix and AndrAIa. A nurse stood with them, too, having come to check on Hex.

Her mouth opened in surprise. "What are you all doing here?" she asked, perplexed.

Bob knelt in front of her; and Tessa noticed that he carried some flowers. "We wanted to visit with Hexadecimal," he said. "The doctor told us that she's well enough to take visitors."

Tessa nodded. "Sure. I mean, come in." She opened the door all the way to let the sprites come in. Then she ran to the bed and gently shook Hex's arm. "Hex, Hex, wake up."

The registered virus groaned and opened her eyes, but when her eyes fell on Tessa, she smiled. "What is it, my dear?"

Tessa smiled widely. "You have some visitors."

She stepped back, and Hex saw Bob, standing over her with a smile. "Hey, Hex," he said. "How're you doing?"

"Hello, Guardian," she replied softly. "I'm all right."

Bob brought his hand out from behind his back, and Hex gasped with delight. He handed her a bouquet of flowers. "I got these for you. To, uh, make you feel better."

"Why thank you, my dear boy," she said, smiling. "But I doubt Dot would approve."

"Actually, it was my idea," Dot said, stepping out from behind Bob. She smiled at Hex. "I felt it was a special occasion."

Hex arched an eyebrow. "I don't understand . . ."

"You risked your life for Tessa," AndrAIa said. She smiled. "We figured you couldn't be so bad."

Hexadecimal smiled back. "Thank you, then."

"Are you still tired, Hex?" Tessa asked in concern.

"A little," Hex answered; it came out more as a sigh. She closed her eyes, then opened them. "I feel as if I'm drifting . . ."

"You used up most of your energy, trying to protect Tessa from the Guardian," Dot explained. "And, we won't be staying for too long. We also wanted to talk to Tessa."

"Talk to me?" the girl asked, surprised. "How come?"

"You should sit down," Dot said. 

Tessa did, looking worried. Enzo stood next to her, looking tense. Tessa looked between the adults and saw that all of them shared the same expression. "Well, what is it?" she asked.

"When we went to save you from the Guardians the other second," Dot began, "one of them —"

"Covin," Bob cut in.

"Covin called you one of Daemon's Children. He said that she needed you back, to continue processing — meaning, Tessa, that you were tied in with Daemon."

Tessa's breath quickened; tears pricked her eyes, but she refused to let them fall. Instead she said, in barely a whisper, "What did he mean? How?"

"We don't know," AndrAIa answered. "We've never dealt with a super-virus before, so we can't know what it means to be one of Daemon's Children, other than you're tied to her in some way —"

"Tessali is one of the sprites who will be Daemon's hosts." Everyone looked to the bed, where Hex had pushed herself up on one arm. It was clear in her face and voice that she was weary, but her eyes shone with rage and sorrow.

"What — what do you mean, Hex?" Bob asked.

Hexadecimal looked at Tessa, and laid one hand over hers. "All viruses have heard at least a little bit about Daemon, and how she has survived for so long."

" So long'?" Dot asked. "Hexadecimal, you're not making any sense."

"Then listen!" Hex shouted. She angrily sat up in bed; shocked, the nurse rushed to push her back down, but Hex glared at her. Her next words were in a quieter, calmer tone. "Daemon has been around the Net for about twenty hours."

"_Twenty hours_?" They weren't sure who exactly had said that; it seemed they had all exclaimed it at the same time.

"She may have been around longer than that, but she began taking over about sixteen hours ago," Hex said. "Somewhere between sixteen and twenty hours, she must have built up armies and power, because the first systems she attacked came under her power instantly. 

"The only ones who have seen Daemon's true form have been deleted. But it's said that Daemon relied heavily on elements of the Web, and she may look like someone who has been through the Web." Hexadecimal was interrupted by a fit of coughing. She waved away Tessa when she tried to help. "I'm all right, dear. Where was I — ah, yes. 

"To survive, Daemon took many forms — hosts, mostly women sprites, preferably young women. She transferred her code into each one, so that it would appear that the sprite could walk around, alive and well, but in truth, Daemon controlled the sprite totally.

"It's said that she could only live in each host for a short while; and eventually, when sprites became aware of her presence, she couldn't find enough sprites for hosts. So, she used technology to create new hosts."

Dot gasped in horror and looked to Tessa. Suddenly, it all came together: her arrival to Mainframe, her odd aging, even her looks — no child created in a normal way would have dull, dead-looking skin and no hair.

Tessa understood too, and tears of anger and sorrow streamed down her cheeks. Enzo wrapped his arms around her; and however awkward his hug was, Tessa hugged him back, crying silently.

Hex looked sadly at Tessa. When her tears ceased to sniffles, Hex took the girl into her lap and rocked her gently. Her face and her voice were grim as she next spoke.

"The created sprites are called Daemon's Children. Not much is known about them; only that Daemon creates them to grow quickly and become young, healthy hosts for her to inhabit. As for the looks, I have no idea."

"So there are others exactly like me," Tessa said quietly. "I'm not an individual."

"No, Tessali!" Hexadecimal said fiercely. She gripped the girl-sprite's shoulders and made her look at her. "I named you, child, and I _raised_ you."

"We all did," Bob said with a smile. "Each and every one of us."

"You're a Mainframer, Tessa," Dot said.

"And Mainframers stick together," Matrix added.

Tessa smiled, though it was wobbly. She sniffled once more. "Thank you," she whispered, and she buried her head in Hex's shoulder.

Dot stared at Hexadecimal. "You mean — you knew all this?" she asked in disbelief.

Hex stroked Tessa's head. She looked up at the sprites and nodded. "Yes. All viruses have heard of Daemon — especially myself and my brother," she added in a lower voice, looking down.

"What do you mean, you and Megabyte would know?" Matrix asked, eyes narrowed viciously.

"We came to Mainframe an hour or so after the Twin City's explosion," Hex explained. "When we arrived, we could feel Daemon's presence immensely — in the remains of the City."

Time seemed to freeze after she spoke. Dot's head whirled with the sudden onslaught of thoughts and suspicions of the last few seconds working themselves into what Hexadecimal had just said. It couldn't be true! 

She couldn't find the ability to speak for several nanoseconds. When she finally got her throat and mouth to work, she demanded, "What? You felt Daemon's presence? In the City?"

Recognition dawned on Bob's face. "Oh, sweet User," he whispered.

"No, it can't be!" Matrix hissed. "Tell us about that — about Daemon's presence!" he ordered Hexadecimal.

"Her power hung heavily over the City, but not so much over Mainframe —" Hex started; then, her eyes slid closed, and she fell back onto the bed. Tessa jumped off and tried to shake her. "Hex, tell us more! Wake up, Hex!"

The nurse had been standing nearby but hadn't heard the conversation while she was setting up a gurney. She rushed to Tessa and tried to pull her away. "Let her rest, dear."

"We have to talk to her!" Matrix growled. He looked ready to fling the nurse aside, but Dot said, "No, Enzo, it's all right. Hexadecimal needs to rest; she can't tell us anything more."

Matrix muttered something vicious under his breath and spun around. He stormed out of the room, with AndrAIa and Bob following. Dot started to go, then she looked back at Tessa.

The girl was trembling, and her eyes were bright with tears. "Dot," she whispered, "I'm scared. I want to be away from here; but I don't want to leave Hex. . . ."

"Come to the Principle Office with us," Dot said gently. "Hex will only have to stay here for a little while longer, and the doctors will take care of her."

Tessa nodded. She bent by Hex and kissed her face. Then she rushed to Dot and let the woman take her by the hand and lead her outside.

They caught up with the others at the Principle Office. Dot took Tessa to Phong's office.

They came in without knocking. Phong looked at their haggard faces and asked, "What is it, Dot?"

Dot quickly explained what had just happened. "Can you take care of Tessa, please, Phong?" she asked.

"Of course, child," he immediately answered. "Come with me, Tessa" and he led her to a small, but cozy, room.

Dot waited until Phong came back. "Thank you, Phong," she said. "The Principle Office can protect her like none of us could."

He nodded, and took her hands. "Dot, child, are you all right?"

Dot shook her head and fell to her knees. "It's horrible, Phong," she whispered. "All the planning, and waiting — and what Hexadecimal just told us, about Daemon being here in the time of the Twin Cities . . . I'm so scared. She was here before; she's here again, with the Guardians. I don't know what to do."

"Neither do I, my child." There was silence for several moments. Then he spoke again. "But I do have something for you, Dot," Phong said. He pulled a small disk out of his drawer. "The other second, Bob found this in the Archives. I believe it to be a log from the Twin Cities, but I have not yet watched it. I think you would like it?"

Dot thought of Hex's words, of how Daemon had somehow been involved with the Twin Cities. She nodded, and he handed her the disk. Dot thanked him and left, holding the log in a death-grip.

"One more thing, Phong," she said before she left. "Terminate all communications with the Twin Cities. If any of their citizens try to come here, place them under guard before I can talk to them."

Phong's eyebrows shot up, and his glasses fell off his nose. He retrieved them and nodded gravely. It seemed to Dot that somehow he already understood her reasons for this action. "Yes, my child. It will be done."

When Dot got to her office she placed the log in a drawer in her desk. She regretted that she couldn't watch it at that moment, though she desperately wanted to. Instead, she had to go to the hangars to check on AndrAIa.

When she reached the lower levels, she found the game sprite welding a steel plate to the side of a CPU. Dot waited until AndrAIa had turned off the flame-thrower before she spoke.

"How are you doing, AndrAIa?" she asked, coming down the steps.

AndrAIa lifted her helmet and smiled wearily at Dot. "All right; I'm a bit behind, though."

"Let me help, then," Dot offered. AndrAIa nodded, and Dot donned one of the protective suits. She knelt by AndrAIa and handed her a plate. AndrAIa flipped her helmet back and pressed the flame-thrower to the plate, melting its edges to the adjoining sides of the transport.

It was slow work to shield the whole CPU, and the two women took a moment to rest after they had finished.

"I'm sorry you have to do this all yourself," Dot apologized. Unfortunately, there was no way around it. Once Mouse had left, AndrAIa had taken the job on herself, and there was no one they could spare who knew as much as she.

"It's all right," AndrAIa replied. "It gives me something to do; and it's my part in all this."

At that nano, a CPU streaked by. Dot and AndrAIa lifted their helmets and watched it fly by, followed by another, then another, and a whole cluster. The CPUs spread out into an attack V, rushing at full speed. Then, suddenly, they reversed direction, to turn back around. But one bumped into the other, which caused the smooth drill to be ruined.

AndrAIa laughed softly and replaced her helmet. "Those poor binomes are going to get the training _drilled_ into them, if I know Matrix."

Dot took a turn with the flame-thrower, as AndrAIa held the plate against the next CPU. "I hope he and Bob can work together to train them," she said.

Matrix rolled his eyes in disgust at the binomes as they filed into the hangars, looking sheepish from just messing up the drill. "That was horrible," he growled.

"Enzo," Bob tried to reason, "it was the first drill."

"I know." Matrix sighed. "This isn't gonna be easy."

"Nothing these seconds is." Matrix reluctantly nodded at Bob's comment.

"Okay, that wasn't too good," Bob said aloud. The binomes fell silent; some looked at him, while other glanced away in embarrassment.

"It's all right," Bob continued. "But we need to have it right as soon as we can. Remember this." Each binome nodded, fully understanding. "Now, let's try the same drill again, but a little different: Fly out slowly, in a group. Gather speed as you turn and form into the attack V. Then, the first two fly forward, followed by the next two, and so on."

The binomes all listened, committing his instructions to memory.

Matrix cut in front of Bob. "But if you did that, it'd be too slow to attack."

Bob frowned. "We don't know how Daemon's troops would attack. For all we know, they'll go for the large group. By spreading out, the CPUs will have a better chance."

"And before they can shoot, the enemy will shoot them down, one by one," Matrix argued. "A larger group is more powerful."

The binomes were looking between the two sprites, unsure of whose instructions to follow.

"_Spreading out _gives more power," Bob said.

A binome raised a hand. "Um, excuse me —"

"Wait," Matrix snapped to the binome. "Bob, why won't you listen to me?"

"Because I know what I'm doing, Enzo," Bob said. Matrix gritted his teeth. Bob turned back to the binomes and tried to finish explaining the drill. "If you were in the real battle, you would then shoot at your targets."

The same binome raised his hand again. "Exactly _what_ sort of attack are we doing?"

"The one I said before," Bob answered.

"They should be going for brute force," Matrix argued again. "We have enough power."

"Matrix, I'm trying to tell you, strategy is better than a full-blown attack when no one knows what they're doing!" Bob said, having trouble keeping his voice level. "Besides, do you think about what would happen if we _did_ send all our troops out, and Daemon deleted every single one? We'd have no forces left, and we'd be vulnerable to attack!"

Matrix glared at him; Bob glared right back. Finally, Matrix broke his gaze and stared at the ground ashamedly. "You're right, Bob," he muttered. "I'm sorry."

Bob sighed and put a hand on the youth's shoulder. "So am I, Enzo. This turned out to be harder than we thought, with us having different ideas on the subject."

Matrix shook his head. "It was my fault. I didn't think."

"Actually, I think you might have had some of a plan going there," Bob said. "Part of a plan, at least. Why don't we try and see if we can incorporate both our ideas together?"

Matrix hesitated, then nodded haltingly. "Sounds good."

Bob drew him aside, and they talked in hushed tones as the binomes waited impatiently.

Bob said, "What if we start it the same — but send them out in groups, like I planned." Matrix nodded. "We'll have a few groups, I think. And in each one there would be a few CPUs that immediately split apart from the others and go for weak spots. Then, the rest attack in a slower force."

A hint of a smile appeared on Matrix's face. "Sounds like a real plan. Thanks, Bob."

"Thank _you_," Bob said with a smile. "We'll have to teach those binomes some tricky maneuvers. I believe you might know some tricks, guessing that you spent some time in flying Games?"

Matrix looked much happier, now that he had come to terms with his hero, (for the moment, anyway). "I might have a few that'll surprise Daemon's troops . . ." he said, as they stood in front of the binomes.

"All right, here's the new plan," Bob said, and started to explain. The CPUs understood quickly, and they began to board their transports.

"I doubt you could fit into one of those," Bob said to Matrix, "so you'll need to instruct them through a communications link, okay?"

Matrix smiled slightly and shook his head at Bob's comment. Then he said, "Got it. Let's go."


	10. War Plans, PART 2

CHAPTER FIVE

WAR PLANS, PART 2

"What's our first stop, love?" Ray asked.

Mouse keyed in the coordinates in Ship's computers, then looked up at the Surfr. "A small system, called Kompu." She pressed a button, and a map of the Web came up on the screen. Ray leaned in to see.

There were gold blips spread out all over the map, each representing a system. Mouse pointed at a smaller blip on the far left. "That's Mainframe." She then placed her hand over the right side of the map, where there were other systems, some bigger, some smaller. "Daemon's hit the most systems over here. Ah believe her arc of control extends to about — here." She drew a crude crescent over almost half the systems.

Ray's eyebrows shot up. "That's a lot of systems already, ain't it?"

Mouse sighed. "Yep. Although, Ah don't know if Daemon's actually invaded each one. Fer all we know, there are a few good systems in that arc she hasn't gotten to yet. Kompu's on the border of that arc, so we're gonna start there, and explore through that area for any good systems." 

"Hopefully, we'll find somethin'," Ray said.

Mouse nodded. "It's gonna take a while, though. Once we get through the systems that are alive and on to the ones we have no idea, it's gonna be a lot of searching and picking through. And granted, there's a lot of space between each system, so we're gonna be out here fer a while."

"Let's go then, love."

"I think things are definitely looking up," Bob said, as he and Matrix watched the CPUs go. He offered Matrix his hand. "Good job."

"You too," he replied, shaking Bob's hand. Then, his expression darkened, and he said, "Bob . . . Can I talk to you about something?"

"Sure, Enzo."

Matrix flinched again at being addressed by his first name; and Bob wondered if it had something to do with what Matrix wanted to talk with him about. Matrix started, "Well, it's —" but suddenly Bob saw Dot walking across the room with AndrAIa.

"I forgot that I need to talk to Dot," he said, interrupting Matrix. "About Mouse and Ray," he added. "Sorry. Do you think we could talk another time?"

Matrix nodded, though he frowned slightly. "I guess so. But this is important, Bob."

"I know," Bob said. "And we _will_ get to talk about it, I promise."

Matrix sighed and nodded, and Bob went to talk to Dot, whereas the renegade went to meet AndrAIa.

"How goes your end of things?" Dot asked.

"Pretty good," Bob said with a smile. "And you guys?"

AndrAIa sighed. "We still have a lot of shielding to do. It's going to take some time, that I'm not sure we have."

"Well, it's your lucky second, folks," a distinctive voice said. A red blur in front of them materialized into a sprite: grinning, with his hands held out as if to offer something. "I happen to know of two well-worthy people who can help you out."

Stripe appeared next to Rasta Mon and nodded. "He's right. We volunteer to assist you with the shielding."

"We work pretty fast," Rasta Mon added. "And no charge; just some help for our Protected and their system."

Dot smiled and clasped Rasta Mon's hand in hers. "Thank you, Ras. You too, Stripe. We appreciate it."

They smiled back; even Rasta Mon couldn't mask his own apprehension at Daemon, and his desire to help, if it could save them all.

"We were on our way to the Diner for a break," Dot said. "Maybe you'd like to join us?"

Bob and Matrix nodded; "We'd love to," Stripe said with a small smile. The four sprites and two Protectors headed for Baudway.

"Heading into Kompu's atmosphere," Mouse reported. She looked out the window, to Ray surfing in front of her. He gave her a thumbs-up, responding that he understood.

They had decided that Ray should be outside while she piloted the ship. He could warn her of any dangers she might not immediately see. Plus, Ray seemed like he missed surfing in the Web. He had never complained in Mainframe, though he had once invited her to come with him, so now Mouse let him do as he wanted.

Ray went first, with Mouse following. As they came into the system, Mouse saw Ray point at the ground. She followed his gaze to see that sprites and binomes had appeared from out of the pyramid-shaped structure that must be their Principle Office. They all watched the descending ship in awe. 

Mouse waited until Ray had touched down on the ground before she landed Ship. She couldn't see where Ray had gone as she unbuckled herself and strapped on some weapons before she emerged from the ship.

As she opened the hatch and stepped out, the muzzle of a gun appeared between her eyes.

Mouse glanced at Ray without moving her head and saw that he was being held, still in his websuit, by two sprites. Another held his Baud and pressed a gun to it.

__

Idiot! Mouse cursed to herself. _We must look like invaders. We shoulda warned `em that we were comin' — but we didn't think._ If she didn't think quick, she and Ray could be stuck in their first system.

"Look," she said; quietly, because the gun pressed harder into her forehead, "we're not here ta hurt ya. The opposite, actually. We're from another system, called Mainframe."

A sprite pushed through the crowd. He had off-white skin and bright blue hair — and he wore the icon of Command.com. "What do you want with us?" he asked.

"We're from Mainframe," Mouse repeated. "Ya may have heard of us."

The man's eyes widened. "Yes. Yes, we have! Let them go; they're all right."

The sprite released Mouse, with a small apology. The other three did the same with Ray.

"I apologize for the misunderstanding," the Command.com said. "Come with me to the Principle Office." Mouse and Ray obediently followed him; the Surfr clicked back into his normal clothes.

They went inside the Principle Office. There were already some binome guards posted at the doors; so this system was already on the alert.

The Command.com had them sit. Mouse opted to lean against the arm of her chair, while Ray stood beside her with his Baud.

The Command.com introduced himself as Sans. Mouse replied with her and Ray's own introductions: "Ah'm Mouse, and this is Ray Tracer."

Sans nodded. "Yes, I've heard of you, like I've heard of Mainframe."

"How much do ya know about Mainframe?" Mouse asked.

"We've heard some about the war against the viruses," the Command.com replied. "Some information's gone around the Net: just that you won back your system from the virus Megabyte, and that you're one of the last clean places since Daemon's come.

"Now, tell me about your reason to be here."

Mouse began to explain, "Daemon's taken over a lot of the Net by now. The Command.com of our system sent us to find other systems that could help us to fight Daemon."

The man nodded, rubbing his chin as he listened. "We'd be glad to help."

Mouse started slightly and exchanged a look with Ray; their first system, and they already had allies!

"If we agree to help you, what will happen to us?" Sans asked.

"We store the addresses of every system we visit," Mouse explained, "and we take the addresses back to Mainframe. Our Command.com will then go to each of the systems to gather ev'ryone."

Sans nodded. "I like that idea." He shook Mouse's hand. "Let me write it down for you."

Mouse and Ray waited until Sans had written down the address. Then they stood and thanked him.

"No, thank you," the sprite answered. "And safe journey."

The three emerged from the Principle Office. There were still sprites waiting anxiously to find out why two strange visitors had come to their system.

"These two sprites have come to give us hope," Sans said while Ray and Mouse stood by his side. "When they return to their home system, their Command.com will visit Kompu for help against the super-virus Daemon." He turned back to Mouse and Ray and shook their hands once more. "Thank you for helping us."

"Your welcome," Ray said with a smile.

"Can you stay, just for the second?" the Command.com asked hopefully.

Mouse shook her head. "No thanks. We've gotta be goin'."

Sans nodded. "May the Net be with you."

The two sprites headed for Ship. Mouse got in, while Ray took up his Baud. He flew up and waited for her to power up the ship. Then he surfed up and away, with her following.

The inhabitants of Kompu watched the ship slowly fly up to the edge of the system's barrier against the Web. Then, the engines glowed bright; and with a burst of power, Ship shot away.

"Ah don't believe it," Mouse murmured. "That was too easy."

Ray, sitting beside her, reached out and gently stroked her hair. "No. We just found one system that was alive. It was a blessing, but I doubt there are gonna be a lot more like that."

Mouse shook her head with a sigh. "Ya ready, then?"

Ray nodded. He clicked into his websuit, then mounted his Baud and flew through Ship's opening, out into the Web. Mouse settled back in the pilot's chair and brought up the map. She drew a check over the gold blip that represented Kompu.

"One positive. Tons more ta visit."

Never in her life could Dot remember three cycles going by so quickly. But with all the work to be done in Mainframe, she was also partly surprised that it had been only three cycles, and not three minutes.

The CPUs were steadily getting better at their drills and Bob and Matrix's combined ideas made for a plan "that even Daemon would have trouble dealing with." Dot smiled as she remembered Bob's confident words.

Dot hadn't had time to check on AndrAIa, Rasta Mon, and Stripe, but she figured that with the help of the two Protectors, the CPUs' shielding should be going smoothly.

Dot had been able to find some time late one night, while Enzo was sleeping peacefully, to play the log from the Twin City. Unfortunately, the first time she had put the disk in the machine, the screen had displayed only static. She later found out that the log was encrypted, with an old code that would take forever to decipher. Dot had replaced the log in her desk with a weary sigh, reminding herself that she would find a way to crack the code and watch the history of the City.

Now they were reaching close to a minute of the war plans and preparations. Dot sat at her desk in her office at the P.O. and she accessed a VidWindow to the Diner. When the preparations had begun, she had found that with her duties as Command.com she didn't have any time to run the Diner, so she had passed on the responsibilities to Cecil. The server had performed them admirably, but Dot missed working there. She wondered if she could take just a few milliseconds to check up on business . . .

"Dot?"

"Yes?" She jerked back, her hand on the "call" button.

Bob stood in the doorway. Behind him were AndrAIa, Matrix, Rasta Mon, and Stripe. The Guardian glanced at the VidWindow for a nano; then he looked back to Dot and said, "You called us all together for a meeting?"

She nodded. "Right, right, yes. Come in, all of you."

They seated themselves in chairs or leaned against the wall. The door opened again, and Phong wheeled in. "Hello, my children. I am sorry I'm late."

"It's all right, Phong," Dot said. "I was about to begin.

"In-between the preparations of the last few cycles, we've been looking in the Read Only Room for information on viruses — their types and kinds, their characteristics — to find something that could help us better understand Daemon. I called all of you here to go over what we've found, and to review all of the information we have about Daemon." She began to open several VidWindows. "I think we have a good grasp on viruses now, enough to make some assumptions about Daemon's nature."

The windows opened over her desk, showing a listing of contents under the heading "TYPES OF VIRUSES." Dot pressed a box on the screen, and the picture shifted to that of three different, yet very familiar, viruses.

"We've only had experiences with three viruses, but it's enough to give us useful information," Dot explained. "We have Megabyte, Hexadecimal, and Gigabyte." Information about each virus appeared next to its picture on the VidWindow. "Hexadecimal was harmless" — a look that said she didn't quite agree passed over her face — "though she had an infinite amount of power. On the other hand, Megabyte was strong and powerful, and hungry for control no less. Gigabyte was a mixture of Megabyte and Hexadecimal, in power supply and attitude; but he had to leech his power from the energy of others.

"From looking at these viruses and documents of others, there haven't been any that could have as much power as Daemon seems to have, so I figure she's the first super-virus the Net's dealt with. That means there are going to be surprises we could not know about when dealing with her. What we do know is that she has a lot of power, to infect the entire Guardian Collective and still go on to the Net. No one has seen an image of her, which is unfortunate; we could guess more about her if we did."

"But Hex said Daemon takes hosts," Bob put in.

Dot nodded. "She did. So, we'll have to assume that Daemon doesn't have a true form, to be using the bodies of other sprites. She would have to have much _more_ power, to be able to infect hundreds of hosts as well."

Dot sighed. "Basically, Daemon is a power-hungry, very, _very_ powerful super-virus who is slowly infecting the entire Net."

Bob whistled. "This is bad."

"Very bad," Dot finished, and she smiled at Bob for a nano.

AndrAIa raised her hand. "Dot?"

"Yes, AndrAIa?"

"First, I wanted to say that the shielding on the CPUs is going much faster, now that Rasta Mon and Stripe are helping out. We're nearly done, actually; I think we'll be finished by the end of the minute.

"I realized that once that is done, there's another matter we should discuss. When Turbo was deleted" — there was no mistaking the look of grief on Bob's face, but AndrAIa continued — "we lost our only contact with the Supercomputer. Mouse sealed Mainframe off from the rest of the Net during the Web World War, but we also lost contacts because of that, though she did recently tell us that some information about us has leaked out to other systems."

Dot took off her glasses and leaned forward on her desk. "What exactly do you want to do, then, AndrAIa?"

The game sprite took a deep breath. "I think we should go to the Supercomputer and get Mainframe connected again."

"Go to the _Supercomputer_?" Rasta Mon asked incredulously. "That'd be like walking into a trap, if you're not careful." He glanced at Bob. "Could you even make it?"

He thought for a few nanoseconds. "Well, the Supercomputer _is_ the relative center of all communications in the Net. Connecting Mainframe again would certainly be risky, but it could get us important information. But we'd need a way to get _inside_ it."

"I think you would be better to figure that out," AndrAIa said to Dot with a smile. "Sorry, Dot — some of your planning skills have rubbed off on me, but not enough."

Dot smiled back, then pushed herself out of her chair and went to sit on the edge of her desk as she contemplated the idea. "We need to figure out the overall idea first: who goes, how and when they go, and that you know exactly what you're going to do there. We can figure out the smaller things once we wrap up our preparations as of now. How about, we meet in one cycle and plan it all out?"

She looked to each of her comrades. Each of them nodded, looking as if they were going to agree to AndrAIa's idea.

Bob ran a hand through his hair. "We definitely need to know _how_ we're going to get into the Supercomputer, since it's going to be tightly guarded by Daemon's Guardians." A slow smile spread across his face. "I think I know of someone who could help. I'll check on that after Matrix and I finish with the CPUs for today. Enzo?"

The big sprite nodded, and the two of them left for the hangars.

Dot looked at AndrAIa. "That was a great idea, AndrAIa. Hopefully, we can achieve it."

The young woman nodded. She glanced at the two Protectors who had also stayed behind, then to Dot. "If you'll excuse us, we have more work to do."

Dot nodded and patted her on the shoulder. "Then go."

The three stood and went to leave. As they passed through the doorway, Dot heard Stripe say to AndrAIa, "Seems like you've picked up aspects of both Mouse and Dot, with all the mechanics you've been doing, _and_ this plan."

AndrAIa laughed lightly. "I'm a game sprite. It's in my format to learn and develop from those around me."

Dot watched them go, then she sat back in her desk. Her hand hovered over the button to call the Diner again, but with a sigh she closed that window and got up to go to the Read Only Room. Maybe, if Phong helped her, they could find out about the Supercomputer's security.

They moved from system to system with some successes, albeit slowly. Mouse tried to plot a course so that they could reach each system in a few micros, leaving them time to convince the residents to help in their plan and then take quick naps in-between. They got some sleep at night, sometimes just hovering in Ship and taking shifts; or, when they were lucky, in the Principle Office of a system.

In the first few systems they visited, they found large amounts of people. One system, Trimmean, had only a few families left, but at the sight of Mouse and Ray, they gave their system's address and many blessings to the two sprites as they left.

In one system, Hyperlink, the residents had been fully expecting them, with open arms even. It seemed, Mouse noted, that news spread fast.

Not all the systems were so hopeful, though. Mouse remembered the system they had just left, Bios. The lost look in the eyes of the citizens made Mouse feel as if she had been stabbed in the chest by her own katana. The system hadn't even had a Principle Office or Command.com left in the destruction Daemon had set upon it. 

Mouse swiped a hand across her eyes. Bios had brought back haunting memories of her own home system, lost long ago to an invading force that could have been (and probably had been) Daemon.

"You okay, love?" Ray's voice came over the communications, sounding slightly concerned.

Mouse smiled. Since when had she found a man who was both charming and handsome — and considerate? Not since Bob, she realized. "Ah'm fine, Sugah," she answered. "Next stop: System Hybris." She glanced at the map, where several gold blips had been checked or marked with an X, in some more unfortunate cases. The next system looked as if it still had some inhabitants. They couldn't be sure, though, since they were now on the edge between the systems that were alive and the systems that were probably dead.

Mouse sent a small message ahead — as they had learned to do after the incident at Kompu — simply stating that they were from another system and coming to give an offer to the system.

There was no reply; but nonetheless, Mouse flew Ship in towards Hybris' atmosphere, watching the small figure of Ray up ahead.

Mouse peered through Ship's window at what she could see of one of Kompu's sectors. It was getting to be downtime, and there were no lights to illuminate the dirty, abandoned streets. Mouse could make out the gray silhouettes of broken-down buildings, and up ahead was an area where it looked like an office had once stood.

Up ahead, Ray formed a ball of Surfr-energy that he used to shine around him, but it was sucked up by the darkness. 

"Let me help, Sugah," Mouse offered. She switched on Ship's headlights. Their light cut through the dusk, tinting the surroundings a pale yellow-white.

Spotlights snapped on, blinding Mouse with their brilliance. She hit Ship's brakes. "Ray, don't move!" she shouted to the Surfr. He stopped in his tracks and looked around. 

"What do you see?" Mouse asked.

Ray shaded his eyes with one hand and replied in a low voice, "There are three towers around us. Each has a large gun mounted and pointin' at us. If we move, we'll probably be deleted."

Mouse peered through the gloom. She was over her momentary blindness, and she could see the three towers that Ray had described with their guns, noticing that the gun on the fourth tower had been blasted away. "Got ya," she affirmed. She swallowed hard, her hands gripping the throttle. She waited for breathless moments, watching the weapons for movement.

Finally, the guns pointed away from them, and from the first tower a binome came. Some signal unknown to Mouse and Ray went off then, and more binomes and a few sprites emerged from behind the damaged office building Mouse had noticed before.

Some of the sprites and binomes carried weapons, but none were pointed toward Mouse and Ray, and they had stopped their attack, so she found it safe enough to land Ship and get out. Ray glided in smoothly on his Baud

The spotlights had been turned off, but Ship's headlights were still on, and from the illumination Mouse could see the lead sprites. A male sprite and a female sprite stood in front of her and Ray, scrutinizing them. The male had dark red-orange skin and pale green hair. The female's skin was a bright magenta, and her hair was a slightly darker shade of teal than AndrAIa's. Both wore clothes that looked dirty and frayed. The same could be said for the binomes standing anxiously behind them.

The female extended her hand, and Mouse cautiously shook it. "Welcome to Hybris," she said. After a pause, she asked, "Is it true? Are you two from another system, here to help us like you did the others?"

"Yes," Mouse answered. "We're from Mainframe. Ah'm Mouse, and this is Ray Tracer."

Gasps and murmurs rose around them, and the other binomes and sprites clustered in to get a look at the two sprites.

The young woman smiled. "I'm DiSUM. We are so happy to have you here."

Her companion stepped forward and shook Mouse's hand, then Ray's. "Hi, I'm Joshi. I'm sorry for giving you a scare, but we weren't sure if we could believe the message you sent. You see, we've just survived an attack by some of Daemon's forces —"

"_Daemon_ was here already?" Ray gasped. "That's not good, mate."

Joshi sighed. "I know. They nearly destroyed the system; all of the other sectors are like this one, or worse." He gestured at the wreckage around them. "What's worse is that we know they're coming back — but we don't know when, or how much force. And the truth is, though we have some firepower left, it's just not enough to stop them."

"But now you're here to help us," DiSUM said; her face and voice were bright. "You could take us away from here in your ship!"

"Yes!" Joshi grinned, but it faded as he looked at Mouse. "Could you do that for us?"

"Ah — Ah think so," Mouse said, with only a hint of uncertainty. "But it depends on how many people are here. Mah ship can only hold so much."

"Yes, you're right." Joshi nodded gravely. "I'll get you a list of the sprites and binomes we have left." He jogged toward the fourth tower and disappeared inside.

"Do you have a Principle Office?" Mouse asked DiSUM, fearing she already knew the answer from the destruction around them.

The young woman shook her head. "Daemon's forces destroyed most of it. Our files, our CPUs, you name it. The core is still there, but it's highly unstable. One of my fears is that we're going to be deleted by a system overload. These towers are what remains of our security system. We use those three for shooting, and the fourth is our temporary base. It's not enough, though."

Joshi returned, with a small file. He handed it to Mouse and she scanned the number of inhabitants left in Hybris after Daemon's attack.

"Let me introduce you to some other members of our team," Joshi said to Ray. He gestured some binomes forward and introduced them to the Surfr.

"First we have Qic. He's one of our few CPUs that made it out of the destruction of our Principle Office." Qic, an old zero binome colored dark gray, nodded at Ray.

"Then we have Atanh and Occer," Joshi continued. "They're also from our staff at the P.O." The two one binomes, a girl and a boy, shared pale gray coloring; but Atanh had black hair, whereas her brother Occer had dark red hair.

"Most of us were at the P.O. when Daemon's forces attacked," Joshi explained. "We escaped through a secret passage, but not all of us were so lucky, like the other CPUs. We also have some citizens with us. A lot of them are sole survivors, having lost their families in the attack."

"We have even less sprites than we do binomes," DiSUM put in. Her voice was heavy with sadness as she said, "A lot of my friends were deleted."

"I'm sorry," Ray said softly. "Really, I am."

Joshi put an arm around DiSUM's shoulders. "Thank you," he told Ray.

The Surfr nodded, then excused himself to talk to Mouse. "How do things look, love?" he asked once he made sure they were out of earshot of the others.

Mouse expelled a long breath. "According to this list, we've got a few sprites and ten binomes. There are 14 people in all, plus you and me. Mah ship's no ABC, but Ah think if we cram everyone together, we can evacuate `em all before Daemon comes back."

"Thank the Net," Ray breathed. "Do you want to tell them, or should I?"

"Ah'll do it," Mouse answered. "Joshi, DiSUM."

The two sprites came over. "Yes?" the boy asked.

Mouse took a deep breath. "We can take all yer people," she said.

DiSUM's mouth opened, but no sound came out. Joshi looked amazed, then he smiled warmly. "Thank you, thank you," he said, shaking her hand, then Ray's.

"Thank you so much," DiSUM said, beaming. "Oh, User," she breathed, "this is amazing. We'll start immediately."

Once the news was spread and given a few nanos to sink in, DiSUM explained to her comrades the plan of how they would load the sprites and binomes into Ship.

After she had explained everything, Joshi turned to Qic and two other binomes. "Each of you take a tower and watch out for any sign of intruders."

"Yes, sir," Qic grunted, and they quickly left for the three towers. The rest of Hybris' inhabitants began to load everyone into Ship. Mouse supervised with DiSUM and Joshi while Ray flew up on Baud to scout.

As each binome or sprite stepped into Ship, Joshi checked their name off on the list he had given Mouse. She helped each person find a spot to sit or stand so that everyone could fit.

There were only four sprites left; besides Joshi and DiSUM, there was a male and his daughter. Mouse had them sit on Ship's floor, then she helped binomes in. Luckily, binomes were smaller and easier to cram into spaces. The atmosphere was a little more crowded than everyone was used to, but it wasn't suffocating.

Suddenly, the guns on each tower pointed upward. Joshi and DiSUM's heads snapped up, and they searched the cobalt sky. There were two transports hovering just outside the system's atmosphere, and there was another one arriving. Each had the black-and-gold Guardian icon painted on its side.

Ray swooped down in a blur and floated outside Ship. "Watch out, `cause they're here!" he called.

Mouse appeared through Ship's hatchway. She looked up at the Guardian transports and cursed under her breath. "No, not now, dammit!"

"I'll be right back," Joshi said, and ran for the towers.

"Joshi!" DiSUM shouted after him. She drew in a shaky breath as she watched his retreating figure. "I hope he makes it out there okay," she whispered.

The child sprite peeked out around Mouse. "Is everything okay?" she asked in a small, trembling voice.

"It's fine, Honey," Mouse said. "Just go back inside."

The girl looked up, and she made a frightened little sound and ducked back inside. Soon murmurs of fear could be heard from the people inside the ship.

DiSUM raised her voice over the noise. "Everyone calm down," she commanded. "We're going to continue to get everyone inside the ship. Just keep going."

"You," Mouse said to the male sprite, "help people get in here." The sprite nodded, and Mouse ran to the pilot's seat and quickly checked to make sure the controls were functional. They would have to make a clean getaway, and they needed speed more than anything, because she knew that while Ship had an adequate amount of firepower it wouldn't be enough in an aerial battle against those transports.

When she was sure everything was ready, Mouse pushed herself up and out of Ship and helped DiSUM carry in the last few binomes.

"Wait!" Joshi called, running towards them. He carried a few files in his arms, and the three binomes following him had the same.

"Get in!" Mouse called, watching as the first two transports turned their guns toward them. The ships were now right above them. "Get in, get in," Mouse repeated, pushing the last binome inside. 

Bullets spattered the streets, raising small chips of rock. Mouse jerked to the side and fell. She tried to reach the hatchway to Ship, but more bullets riddled the ground in front of her and she had to dodge the shots.

"Ray!" she cried.

"Right behind ya, love," the Surfr's voice said into her ear. He wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her into Ship as the hatch closed behind them.

The Guardians opened full fire then, with lasers burning ruts in the ground. The waves from the blasts shook Ship, and the sprites and binomes inside cried out in fear as they were roughly jostled. Mouse stumbled to the cockpit and jammed her hand down on the power button.

They shot up, and Mouse grabbed the throttle. Ship wove a shaky course through the air until she was able to steady it, and they flew like a rocket for the edge of the system.

The transports slid into a path after them. One rose right in front of Ship, and Mouse stopped in her tracks. The transport's guns began steadily pumping shots at them, and Mouse jerked the throttle, sending them into a sharp sideways turn.

She righted Ship and pointed the guns at the transport that had just shot at them. She aimed them, then pressed the trigger. The shots raked through the transport's side, tipping it off-balance, but it came back with several blasts that made Ship's shields buckle, and Mouse had to abandon the guns to keep her ship in the air.

"DiSUM, Joshi, somebody get up here!" she screamed as she turned Ship and flew around the side of the wounded transport.

Joshi and Ray ran into the cockpit. "What can we —" the Hybris citizen started to ask, but Mouse cut him off.

"Get ta th' guns," she said, jerking her head to the seat beside her. Joshi understood immediately, and he jumped into the seat, strapped himself in, and grabbed the controls for the guns. He aimed for the wounded transport and squeezed the trigger. Bright red shots struck the transport's engines, and the Guardian ship exploded in a giant flare. The other transports swerved to avoid being caught in the shock waves.

"Good job," Mouse said.

"Watch out on the left!"

Mouse reacted without thinking, and turned Ship to the side. Joshi turned the guns towards the transport that had almost gotten them and began pumping shots at it. Only about half of them hit targets on the ship.

"Not so many shots," Mouse reminded the younger sprite.

"Right." Joshi scanned the area in front of them for more ships. His fingers flexed as he caught sight of a small shape, but a nano later he shook his head. "Careful up there," he warned Mouse. "The Surfr's out."

"_What_?" Mouse's eyes darted over the scene before them, and she saw the form of Ray on his Baud, gliding ahead, swerving away from shots from the transports.

"What's wrong with him?" she shouted as she tried to pilot Ship after him. "Has he gone random?" She fumbled for the communications panel and finally switched on a channel. "_Ray, what are you doing_?"

His voice came back sounding slightly fuzzy. "I'm trying to lead you away from these ships," he answered. "Follow me. I can create a portal up ahead."

"Got ya," Mouse sighed, and switched off the comm. "Easier said than done," she added to herself, but she turned Ship toward the path Ray was leading. "Be ready with those guns," she warned Joshi. "When Ah tell ya to, shoot. But only enough to delete `em." She glanced worriedly at the power levels. "We don't have much firepower left."

"Roger that," Joshi said with a smile. He flexed his fingers over the buttons and watched the transports around them. "Uh-oh. . . ."

The other two transports — one slightly wounded, the other fully functional — closed in around them, their guns pointing at Ship.

"This is bad," Mouse muttered under her breath. "Now here's what we're gonna do," she told Joshi. "Ah'm gonna do what Ah did before. See the transport on the right? It's already been hit. You finish it off — but only enough shots — and Ah'll fly in that way. All right?"

"All right," Joshi answered grimly.

"Mouse!" Ray's voice came urgently over the comm. channel. "I've made a portal, but I can't keep it open forever. Get over here!"

Mouse affirmed his statement and gripped the throttle tighter, eyeing the two transports. _Ah hope DiSUM keeps ev'rabody steady back there,_ she thought, _`cause this is gonna be a bumpy ride._

Mouse turned Ship as if to attack the transport on the left, making sure that she could still turn. The ship's guns aimed right at her. A split nano before they could shoot, she yelled "Now!" to Joshi. She changed directions and sent Ship into a sharp right as he rotated the guns toward the ship on the right and began to shoot. The boy had talent, Mouse realized. She flew through as he hit all the spots he had before, then shot again for the engines, and the transport went up in a blaze of fire.

"Hang on tight," Mouse warned, as she pushed the power levels into overload and flew with all her power towards where Ray was waiting.

It didn't take long for the Guardians on the second transport to realize that they had been tricked. Mouse glanced back and saw the transport speeding up to meet them.

She scanned the power levels again feverishly and sighed in relief. "We've got a laser left," she told Joshi. "Shoot the transport like you did last time. That'll give us enough time to get through the portal. Get ready Ray!" she yelled up ahead.

Joshi turned the guns behind them as Mouse flew faster than ever. The portal grew ever nearer, and so did the ship behind them. Just as the transport was a ship's length away, Joshi let the laser fly. At that moment, Ship's power levels overloaded, and they were jerked roughly. His shot went awry, glancing off the top of the transport. Nonetheless, the Guardians were jostled, and it was enough as Ship sluggishly slid through the portal. Ray followed close behind, and then the portal closed neatly, leaving only one Guardian transport amidst the wreckage of its fellows.

Even people who aren't alive can get frustrated. So it was no surprise that the lead Guardian in the only remaining transport slammed his fist down on the console and hissed as he glared at the spot where the portal had been.

The Infection gripped him again, and he retreated into cold indifference. "Is it true, then?" he asked the Guardian beside him. "Was that indeed the ship from Mainframe?"

"Yes, sir," the other Guardian replied. "That was the one."

"Meddling sprites," the leader muttered. "Did you get a lock on it?"

"Yes, sir," the Guardian said again. "We can't catch up with them right now, but we'll know where they're going."

"Good. I'll report to Mistress Daemon."

Mouse slumped back in her seat, her cramped muscles loosening themselves in relief. In the seat beside her, Joshi released his grip on the guns with a grin. "We made it," he gasped. "Great piloting."

"Ya weren't so bad on the guns yerself," Mouse replied.

Joshi grinned. "I'm gonna go check on DiSUM and the others." He unbuckled himself and ran to the back of the ship.

The hatch opened a fraction, and Ray's Baud came in. Mouse jumped out of her seat and ran to him as the Surfr materialized, grinning. "We did well, eh, love?"

"Ray Tracer, don't you ever do that to me again!" Mouse shouted furiously. Ray's eyebrows rose, and he tried to argue, but he was silenced as Mouse grabbed him in a tight grip and kissed him firmly.

"Never, ever do that," she whispered when they stopped, and she realized that her voice was shaking.

"I won't," Ray answered in a soft voice, hugging her close.

Mouse had surprised herself with her action; nonetheless, she let Ray hug her for a few more nanos. She finally let go of him to go check on everyone in the back. DiSUM happily reported that that aside from a few bruises from the rough bumps and turns, they were all fine.

After all that was done, Mouse went back to the cockpit and checked to see where they were. "Where did that portal bring us, Sugah?" she asked Ray.

"I'm not entirely sure," he confessed. "I just set it up. I think we're right around . . ." He pointed at a spot on the map of the Web. ". . . here."

Mouse looked. They had appeared close to the dead systems, in a different spot from where they had been when they traveled to Hybris. There were some gold blips a little ways up on the map. Mouse calculated that it would take a few microseconds' flight to reach those systems.

Mouse settled herself in the pilot's seat. "Y'all can take a rest back there," she called. "`Cause it's gonna be a few micros till we find civilization again."

Ray stood behind Mouse and massaged her shoulders. "You all right about doing this again, right after that mighty escape?"

She grinned up at him. "Ah'm fine. Thanks, Ray. By the way, would ya like ta take a seat next ta me? Ah could use the company."

"I'd love to." He grinned charmingly and took a seat next to her.

It was slow moving, as Ship had been damaged in the fight and was moving about two-thirds as fast as she usually did. But after five microseconds, Mouse could see systems surrounding them again.

DiSUM came into the cockpit and watched as Ship hovered outside the systems.

"Where are you going to take us?" she asked.

"Lemme see," Mouse said as she scanned over the different systems. "We need somewhere we can take you all and be sure that you'll be all right till Dot comes.

"Thank the User! There's a system up ahead, Paix, and from what the scanners say, it's still together. We can take everyone citizens there."

Mouse sent ahead a message, but aside from stating the usual facts she added that their ship carried several sprites from a dying system and was in need of repair. The command center replied immediately and cheerily, which was a good sign.

Mouse landed Ship in Paix's Principle Office. She and Ray got off first, then they helped each sprite and binome from Hybris out.

Guards directed them inside, where they met the Command.com, Lewi Yozak. Lewi looked a few hours younger than Dot, maybe 2.6, with pale blue skin and dark green hair.

After he welcomed them, the young Command.com looked over the group of sprites and binomes and asked, "Why have you brought these people to us?"

Mouse replied, "When we came to Hybris, all we found were these fourteen people. They had lost their homes and families from Daemon's troops, who were due to come back any time. We had to bring them up in Ship, and this was the first system we came upon. We'd like to ask if you would take care of them for the time being."

"Whoa, hang on!" Lewi said, waving his hand as if to swat away a pestering bug. "How did you come upon system Hybris anyway?"

"We're on a mission from Mainframe to go from system to system and list all the living systems so that the Command.com, Dot Matrix, can come to ask for aid later on," Ray explained.

"And we need to leave Hybris' citizens here, so we can go look for more systems," Mouse finished.

The young man's eyes widened at the amazing responsibility. "Oh. Oh! Yes, I — I guess they can stay here. I mean, yes, they will."

"We also need repairs on mah ship," Mouse said.

Lewi nodded hurriedly. "Yes, I'll have them get right to it. Come and get some food," he added. "You must need nourishment.

"Make sure the citizens from Hybris find shelter and food in the Principle Office as well," he commanded the binome guards. They nodded and left.

  
Lewi, Ray, and Mouse followed the guards as they led the binomes and sprites from Hybris to the guest quarters of the Principle Office. They gave everyone food and energy shakes to drink. The sprites and binomes thanked them immensely, and then they were silenced as they dug into their meals. 

The Hybris citizens weren't the only ones eager for food; Ray laughed as he saw Mouse wolfing down her food. She glared and threw a roll at him.

After they had eaten their fill, they were led to the showers and guestrooms. Mouse waited for everyone to shower until she herself got cleaned off.

DiSUM sighed and rubbed the sleeve of her new shirt against her cheek. "Fresh fabric . . . thank the Net," she murmured. Ray noticed that her hair wasn't really a dark teal color; with the dirt washed out of it, it looked more the shade of AndrAIa's. Joshi also looked happier, cleaned and in fresh clothes.

Mouse stepped out a few milliseconds later, dressed in a white tank top and black stretch pants, drying her hair. "Ah feel _so_ much better," she sighed, then yawned loudly. The fatigue of the last few seconds had suddenly rushed up to meet her, and she stumbled over to a bench.

"Here — take a short nap, love," Ray said, wrapping an arm around her. She said nothing but curled up beside him, with her head on his shoulder. Ray rested his chin against her fiery hair and soon he was sleeping too.

Someone nudged her, and Mouse reluctantly opened her eyes. "It's time," Ray said. Mouse nodded and got up from the bench.

They met Lewi outside. "Feeling better?" he asked with a wry smile. Mouse nodded.

"Everyone's sleeping now," Lewi continued. "We'll take good care of them."

Mouse shook Lewi's hand and said, "Thanks a lot. We're gonna keep Paix listed, so wait for Dot Matrix to come."

He followed Mouse and Ray outside, as they prepared to get into Ship. "What if Daemon attacks _us_?" he asked worriedly.

"Ya better hope she doesn't," Mouse answered with a grin. 

Lewi gulped and turned to go back inside. In the spot where he had stood were DiSUM and Joshi.

The young woman smiled hesitantly and stepped forward. "We wanted to — to thank you," she said. "You helped us so much, by bringing us out of there before Daemon's Guardians could get to us."

"Thank you," Joshi echoed. "I can't wait until your Command.com comes."

"Take care of yerselves, you two," Mouse said.

"And one another," Ray added with a smile.

DiSUM's cheeks flushed an even brighter shade of magenta, and Joshi smiled shyly.

Mouse and Ray accepted hugs from the two younger sprites and made their way over to Ship. They got inside and powered up to go. As they lifted into the air, Mouse looked back down at Paix, at the two sprites standing outside the Principle Office and waving. Despite herself, she smiled and felt a warm feeling of pride.

Ray caught her smiling. "What is it?" he asked.

Mouse looked at him as Ship flew past the barrier and into the Web. "Somehow Ah'm thinking that Ah could get used to bein' selfless and helping others. Crazy, ain't it?"

"Not at all, love," Ray said.

Mouse checked off the gold blip of Paix on the map. She sat back and looked at all of the systems they had visited so far. Beside her Ray said, "You did well, Mouse. You did well."


	11. 6: A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood

CHAPTER SIX

A BEAUTIFUL DAY IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD

****

Author's Note: In the wrestling Game, the phrase "Let's get it on!" is reminiscent of "Celebrity Deathmatch." *shrug* Just wanted to let you know. Now, if I got the fighting moves for any of the cartoon heroes wrong, it is because of my ignorance and the fact that I probably don't pay much attention to that show – live with it. =)

Dot listened to the series of high-pitched bleeps from the communications systems as they set up the long-distance call. She crossed her arms and waited patiently until they formed a connection, the bleeps blending into a low hum. Mouse's face appeared on the screen a few nanos later.

Mouse smiled when she saw her friend's face. "It's been almost a minute, eh, Dot? How're things in Mainframe?"

"They're good," she answered. "We're wrapping up with the preparations, and we've got a big mission up ahead. I'll keep you posted.

"How are you, Mouse?" Dot added. "Are you and Ray all right?"

The hacker blew out a long breath. "We've had our share of action," she answered with a small frown. "Just had a huge escape from a system."

Static interrupted her statement. Dot adjusted her headset, touched a button, then asked, "What did you say, Mouse? I missed that last part."

Mouse decided not to repeat the information about the escape; she had only so much time to report to Dot, and Dot didn't need to know anyway, with everything in Mainframe. "Nothin', Dot. We've gotten through almost all the livin' systems," she said. "There were at least a few people left in each, and we passed on the message. Uploadin' list of systems now."

Dot waited as the information was transferred to the window she had open. A small disk popped out. "Got it," she said.

"Good. Now we're gonna go on ta the rest of the livin' systems. Unfortunately, there aren't that many left. Then it's on ta the other systems that are probably dead. Ah'll get you the second list soon." She didn't add "If there is one," but they were both thinking it.

"All right. Good luck to both of you, and tell Ray everyone in Mainframe says hello to both of you," Dot said.

Mouse gave a small laugh. "Will do. Be seein' ya, Sugah."

Dot turned off the communications. She picked up the disk and inserted it into a machine and scrolled down through the names of the systems Mouse and Ray had visited. She read some of the notes that Mouse had written, mentally devising her plan.

Mouse turned the throttle, and Ship slowly circled around until she was aimed for the rest of the systems. After she was in position, she called to Ray, drifting outside, "Ya got the next system in yer sights?"

"Yeah, but –" Ray sounded puzzled.

"But what?"

"There's another system right nearby. Check the map – it's northeast of Paix."

Mouse did, and grimaced at what she saw. "Sugah, the system northeast of Paix is among the dead ones."

"I'm positive that a signal for help was just sent from the system," Ray said, his voice fiercely confident.

"All right," Mouse sighed. She circled the blip on the map and turned Ship to pilot down towards the system. "On to System Ocard, then."

Ocard was a sorry sight from the air. The city had the same factors as many of the others Mouse and Ray had seen: abandoned buildings, broken cars in the middle of the street. The system seemed abandoned. There were no signs of the Guardians, either. _Maybe everyone was deleted_, Mouse thought. But when she consulted the life-scan on her ship, she located a very strong signal coming from a spot in the center of the system. As they flew over Ocard, she traced the signal to the system's (surprisingly) intact Principle Office. Mouse brought Ship in, Ray beside her.

She met him outside the doors of the Principle Office. They exchanged short looks, then they went through the doors. Inside, the walls seemed unusually sturdy, as all the other buildings had been demolished. The two sprites went through a few hallways before they came into what must be the P.O.'s main room. A sprite in his 5.0s was crouched in a command chair, talking in hushed tones into a headset. He was dressed well for this system; he was wearing a clean outfit, and even a hat on his head. The console next to him had been turned on – the help signal that had been sent.

Mouse cleared her throat. The sprite looked up, and he smiled warmly at them. He slowly rose from his seat and came over to them. He stood there smiling, as if waiting.

Ray cautiously stepped forward and held out his hand. "`m Ray Tracer, a Web Surfr."

The man shook his hand, as he spoke. "Nice to meet you, son. Name's Galero. I'm the Command.com of this system, Ocard."

__

From the looks of things, more like was_ the Command.com_, Mouse thought.

Galero turned to her and shook her hand as well. "And it's nice to meet such a ravishing young sprite. If I may request to know your name?"

She raised an eyebrow, but answered, "Mouse."

"Welcome to Ocard," Galero said, gesturing around them. "How long are you planning to stay?"

"Not long, actually," Mouse replied. "We came here because we received yer signal."

"Ah, I see." Galero nodded. "Well, no one's come by because they think we're all deleted." He smiled again. "But as you can see, we're all not."

The two sprites looked at one another. Ray asked Galero, "What happened to your system?"

"Oh, that." Galero waved a hand. "Those confounded Guardians came. You know, the ones who say to mend and defend.'"

"We know who they are," Mouse said hurriedly. Then she hesitated. "Ya mean the ones infected by Daemon, right?"

"Daemon? Daemon Who?" Galero asked. "Oh! That Daemon!" He chuckled. "A joke, a joke, you see? Yes? Well. Where was I – oh, yes. The Guardians destroyed our homes and took most of the sprites for slaves. A couple of us got away, though, and we've been sending out a beacon for help."

"There are more of you?" Ray asked in surprise.

Galero nodded. "Oh, yes. My friend Trunc is here. Actually, he's out there." He nodded at the doors. "He's a little shy – he doesn't like to talk to strangers. The others are with him. I volunteered to come back here because I had the most knowledge of the Principle Office, and we need to get some files." He shook his head sadly. "The devastation was horrible, really. This never would have happened if we had been with Freenet, you know."

"Where?" Mouse asked.

"Freenet," Galero repeated. "It's a beautiful system, hidden away so that Daemon couldn't find it. It was our sister system, actually, until we got separated." His face took on a dreamy look. "It was gorgeous – the most peaceful spots with waterfalls and huge parks; strong, intelligently-built structures – oh. And there were so many citizens; sprites and binomes, young and old, male and female. The most wonderful system I've ever known."

Ray looked at Mouse with raised eyebrows. What Galero said sounded too good to be true; but what if it did exist?

"How can we get to Freenet?" Ray asked Galero.

"Like I said, it was Ocard's sister system, so only we have the codes available," the sprite answered. "What do you want with it?"

Mouse realized that they had not yet explained their purpose for going around systems. She explained as Galero listened intently. Finally, he nodded and said, "Well, miss, sounds like a stellar plan. I know all those at Freenet would be very happy for you to help us all. Let me go get those codes."

As he searched through the computer, Mouse leaned over to Ray. "Ah'm not sure he's got all his circuits, if ya know what Ah mean."

He nodded. "He does seem a little funny. But did you hear how he mentioned Freenet? That place is definitely real."

Mouse nodded, but she didn't feel she could believe what the old sprite said as easily as Ray. How could a whole system be out there, and Daemon hadn't taken it over yet? Well, there was Mainframe.

"Here we go," Galero said, handing her the codes. Mouse gave them a quick run-over, and found that they were indeed valid. Her mouth dropped open in shock, and she wordlessly handed the file over to Ray. He looked at the codes, then smiled at Mouse, knowing there was hope. 

__

Ah don't believe it, Mouse thought in disbelief. _But the codes are all here; this place really exists. By the Code. . . . _

Galero told them, "You go and warn them in Freenet, and I can bet they'll be able to get in touch with everybody else and pass on the message."

"Thanks a bunch, mate," Ray said as they prepared to go. "Are you sure you're okay right here? Won't Daemon's troops come back?"

Galero shook his head. "They think we're all deleted, thank the Net. You two need to go on to Freenet, and you don't need us holding you back. `Sides, I need to finish up on this work. We'll be ready by the time your friend the Command.com comes."

He shook each of their hands again and waved as they left the Principle Office. In a low voice, he murmured, "Ooh, the Guardians are gonna get them, the Guardians are gonna get them."

Galero pulled off his hat and dusted it off. On the back of his head there was dried energy from a head wound, and a cluster of yellow-green veins that seemed to clutch to the back of his skull. The veins pulsed slightly as they were exposed to open air. Galero ignored them as he pulled his hat back on and patted it in satisfaction. 

"Oh, Trunc, you're here," Galero said. He turned to the doorway. There was no one there.

Galero went on talking to the air. "You wouldn't believe the story I have to tell you. It all starts with these two sprites who were just here. It's too bad you missed them. . . ."

"How are the plans for your trip to the Supercomputer?" Dot asked as Bob entered the War Room. Matrix and AndrAIa already stood with her, waiting with Dot as Bob had gone off to contact his "friend" from the Supercomputer.

"Everything's working out," Bob answered. "Our informant's there, and totally trustworthy. Well," he added a moment later, contradicting himself, "trusty enough that he'll guide us to where we need to go without many questions. The only thing left to decide is . . . disguises. I know _I'm_ going to have to change my appearance, since the whole Net probably knows what Guardian 452 looks like." He smiled in a half-hearted attempt for humor. "What about you two? Did Daemon's Guardians see you?"

"I don't know," Matrix answered with a shrug. "Turbo and I shot against them, but we were hiding in the bar and they may not have seen our faces."

"They saw me," AndrAIa confirmed, "but Frisket and I dealt with them. Nonetheless, we should be careful, Sparky."

"All right, then. We know when and how we're going to get there and find the Academy; we just need proper disguises. How does that sound, Dot?" Bob asked, turning to his girlfriend.

Dot had crossed her arms over her chest in a familiar gesture of defense. "I don't like you all going to the Supercomputer when it's as dangerous as it is," she answered, then sighed. "But you have to. It's a great plan."

"WARNING: INCOMING GAME. WARNING: INCOMING GAME."

Bob grinned up at the darkening sky. "Some things never change. See you in a little while, Dot." The three sprites left the War Room. Dot opened a VidWindow and watched them fly up toward the Game, Matrix and AndrAIa on zip-boards while Bob floated. The Game landed smoothly with all three sprites under it, but Dot wasn't ready to breathe a sigh of relief. Only when the spammed Game was over; then she could relax.

Using his Glitch powers, Bob relayed to Matrix and AndrAIa the basic information about the Game they stood in. They stood beside a huge wrestling ring, but none of the Game sprites or the User had appeared. "It's one of those tournament-style Games, called Cartoon Heroes' we'll reboot into characters that the Game chooses. The object is to defeat the User, in whatever forms he chooses."

Matrix's brow furrowed, and he and AndrAIa exchanged worried looks. The wounds from their fights with Zaytan hadn't completely healed, and this Game served as a fresh reminder of that bleak doom.

"In this fighting, though, we're pretty evenly matched," Bob continued, and his companions breathed sighs of relief. "Looks like the fighting is a tag-team style; if one of us gets injured, we can tag another in. The User has unlimited characters –"

"We'll be fine," AndrAIa interrupted. "Three of us, against the User and whatever his forms are? Easy."

"Magnificent." Matrix grinned wolfishly, rubbing his hands together. "I could use some action."

"Reboot!" Bob said, tapping his Guardian icon, and the other two followed a nanosecond later. There was the familiar feeling of green energy washing over his code, then Bob had changed into his Game character. His hair was yellow, and spiky – it extended far over his head. He wore loose-fitting, gray clothes, heavy boots, and wrist protectors. "Hey, this is cool!" His comment was directed toward the huge sword – nearly his own height – that he held in his right hand. After inspecting his weapon, Bob touched his hair, then stared intently at the pale, peach-colored skin of his hand. "I must be some sort of User character."

"Bob, is that you?" Matrix asked in surprise. "I barely recognized you." He looked to his right. "AndrAIa – whoa!" Matrix had rebooted into a lean young man with brown hair and pale skin. He wore a tight-fitting dark blue bodysuit, with a communicator on his wrist. He patted himself down, but it seemed he possessed no weapon. Matrix frowned deeply, but there was no way he could argue with the character he had rebooted into.

But what was most surprising was AndrAIa; Matrix's exclamation had come from the sight of the game sprite's character. AndrAIa's hair, now dark brown, was set in a thick braid that hung down her back. She wore a sleeveless, aqua-colored shirt and gray shorts that exposed her slim thighs; her skin, like the others', was a pale peach color. Two large guns were holstered on her hips, and dark shades topped off her outfit. "Well, we know who's the coolest," she commented with a grin.

Bob narrowed his eyes. "Let's play."

The User had chosen his first form: another User-player, who had black hair and dark, piercing eyes. He wore a skintight red-and-blue outfit with a red cape over his back. On his chest was a huge "S".

"Me first," Bob said, and jumped into the ring. As soon as both players stood in the ring, a voice boomed, "Superman versus Cloud Strife. Gentlemen, don't be gentle – now, let's get it on!"

The User floated up into the air, hovering over Bob. Suddenly, his eyes glowed green; two lasers shot from his eyes, heading at an impossible speed toward Bob. Bob whipped out his huge sword and deflected the lasers back to Superman. The User dodged his own bolts and sped toward Bob. His momentum knocked the sprite to the ground, and the User wrapped his hands in a steel grip around Bob's neck.

Bob slashed wildly with his sword, and he landed a blow, tearing the front of Superman's suit. Gathering his strength, Bob plunged his sword into the User's chest and twisted it roughly, while flipping them over so he was on top of the character. The User screamed out in pain and tried to back away, but Bob pushed the sword deeper, using his leverage to keep pressure until finally the User cried out and disappeared in a flash of bright light.

Bob stood up, using his sword to support himself. He closed his eyes and breathed heavily. The referee's voice called out: "Cloud Strife is triumphant! Next players."

AndrAIa pulled herself up into the ring as the User decided what his second character would be. Matrix gave Bob a high-five, but he looked disappointed when AndrAIa took the second round.

AndrAIa gave him a grin. "Don't worry, Sparky – you'll get your chance."

Just then the announcer said: "Demona versus Lara Croft. Let's get it on!"

The User's new form appeared: a female with blue-gray skin and huge, leathery wings protruding from her shoulders. She had talons on her hands and feet, and she wore a tattered top and loincloth. Her eyes burned red, and she gave a low growl as she studied AndrAIa.

"Another flying User," AndrAIa muttered to herself, flexing her fingers. Though she didn't have her paralyzing fingernails, she still had two very lethal guns at her side and her fighting skills.

Demona started towards AndrAIa, taking long strides with her taloned feet instead of using her wings. AndrAIa tensed in preparation. Suddenly, the User darted toward AndrAIa and swiped with her claws. AndrAIa jumped back, keeping her balance as she dodged out of the User's way. She gauged the character's movements and possible weapons, her eyes remaining on her opponent's face. The User flung herself at AndrAIa again, but the game sprite grabbed her arms and wrestled her away.

The two women wrestled together. Demona lifted up one foot and kicked AndrAIa sharply in the stomach. With a cry, she fell on her back. The User lifted her foot to kick AndrAIa again, but the game sprite rolled to the side and shot out a leg to trip the User. The User's character stumbled but soon regained her balance. She yanked AndrAIa up by her hair and raked her foot talons down AndrAIa's back. AndrAIa yelled and pulled out of the User's grip. She pushed herself to her feet, immediately taking one gun out of the holster.

Demona turned and climbed on top of one of the posts at the edge of the ring. She crouched and let her wings unfurl. Then, with an animal shriek, she launched herself at AndrAIa, her eyes blazing white. She tackled AndrAIa, but the young sprite regained her balance and kicked Demona away.

AndrAIa pulled up her gun and shot at the User. The bullet punctured Demona's left wing, and it began to bleed. The User howled and clutched the gaping wound; her wing furled and unfurled again, and her eyes rolled back into her head.

After much screaming and stumbling about, Demona finally relented and crumpled to the ground. Panting in agony, the User flung her arm out toward the edge of the ring, where a hand appeared to grab it and pull the User out of the ring. AndrAIa let out a sigh of relief and slowly made her way to the edge of the fighting ground.

"Tie!" the announcer declared. "Neither Demona nor Lara Croft wins!"

Matrix would have carried AndrAIa out of the ring if she hadn't protested that she could take care of herself. "Are you okay?" Matrix asked nonetheless, worry evident in his eyes.

AndrAIa touched his arms gently. "I'm fine," she replied. "Now go, quickly," she added, pushing Matrix toward the ring. He hoisted himself up to face the final of the User's players.

A man slightly older than Matrix was crouched in the User's corner of the ring. He didn't appear to have any power; he just sat there, wearing a normal outfit.

Matrix scoffed. "This is a cartoon character? You've got to be kidding me," he sighed.

The referee announced the opponents one more time: "Toad versus Max Steel. All injuries are welcome – let's get it on!"

The User's character opened his mouth, and a five-foot tongue snapped out and wrapped around Matrix. Startled, the youth struggled against Toad's tongue, which was wiry as well as sticky. Toad tilted his head and lifted Matrix off the ground, slowly tightening his grip. Matrix gasped for breath as he was squeezed, and he had no weapon with which to fight.

As Matrix struggled, AndrAIa's gaze darted over his outfit. "What's your power?" she yelled.

"I don't know!" he shouted back. He too looked over himself for an available weapon, but he found none. Finally, his eyes fell upon the device he wore on his wrist. It wasn't a communicator, but some sort of power charger.

The User was squeezing harder, and Matrix knew he had to do something soon. Suddenly, the knowledge came to him. He pressed his palm over the charger and yelled, "Going turbo!" Waves of static electricity charged through his body, and Matrix gritted his teeth as his energy level jumped. 

Filled with an extra-high level of energy, Matrix grabbed Toad's tongue with both hands. Electricity scorched the tongue and traveled along its length as if through a wire, until it reached Toad. He gagged, and his grip on Matrix slackened. The smell of charred flesh rose into the air.

The User flipped back to his feet and turned to Matrix. Energy still surging through his veins, Matrix readied himself. Toad headed for Matrix in a walk that was really a series of hops, but Matrix was ready. He pulled his energy-filled fist back and punched the User full in the face. The User stumbled back. 

Before he could recover, AndrAIa yelled, "Matrix!" His head snapped around, and he saw AndrAIa yank one of her guns out of the holster. Matrix easily caught the small but deadly gun as she tossed it to him. He spun back around and pointed the gun at the User. Toad kept advancing. Matrix pulled the trigger, and the shot plowed into the User's chest. The User flew back twenty yards and lay on his back, blood seeping from the wound in his chest. A few core-pounding nanos later, the User's form disappeared.

"Max Steel wins! Tournament over," the referee announced. "User's score: zero wins, two losses, one tie."

"GAME OVER."

The Game cube retreated into the sky, leaving the three breathless players a little distance away from the Principle Office.

"Good job, Matrix," Bob congratulated the younger man, "and AndrAIa – you both fought well."

A small smile crossed over Matrix's face. "Thanks Bob." He took a few nanoseconds to gaze at the city around them, and he commented, his voice thoughtful, "Funny how, no matter what, we always play Games; it's never changed, after all we've been through."

AndrAIa smiled at him, but the smile soon faded into a weary expression. "We still need disguises," she reminded Bob and Matrix. They nodded tiredly, and the three started back for the Principle Office.

"We just need to find really good disguises so no one can recognize us," Bob thought out loud.

"It's not as if there's a hidden closet in the P.O. with everything we'd need for disguises," Matrix joked.

"But why go to all the trouble when we have it right in front of us?" AndrAIa pondered, the beginnings of a plan coming to mind. Bob and Matrix turned to her questioningly, but AndrAIa's eyes had taken on a faraway look. Her forehead creased, fighting through her thoughts to form a logical plan. She soon refocused on the other sprites. "Matrix, you couldn't recognize Bob at first in the Game, right?"

"Right. He looked very different than he – Oh." Matrix had caught on to AndrAIa's idea; a nano later, Bob had too.

"Let's take the appearances of the characters we had in the Game," AndrAIa explained. "We already have their names. . . ." She closed her eyes, then reopened them in half a millisecond. "I remember the names."

The two of them stared at her for several moments. Finally, Bob grinned and said, "Great idea, AndrAIa."

Matrix even smiled. "I've got a beautiful _and_ smart woman," he murmured, gazing at her affectionately.

"As if you didn't know it before," AndrAIa teased. "Let's get back to the P.O."

Dot started to greet them when they came into the War Room, but Bob, AndrAIa, and Matrix rushed past her toward another doorway. "How was the Game?" Dot called after their retreating backs.

"Fine," Matrix tossed the answer over his shoulder. When Dot stood in the middle of the War Room, her arms crossed and tapping one foot, the other sprites stopped in their tracks and slowly turned to face her.

"What happened?" Dot asked again, in a no-nonsense tone.

"It was fine," Matrix repeated. "We beat the User, and we may have figured out what to do about our disguises."

"We've got just the thing for the Supercomputer," Bob added. "We've gotta go now; we'll check back in a micro, okay?"

"All right," Dot conceded, a little uncertainly; Bob had never had a plan in his life. She hoped those three knew what they were doing.

Enzo wandered into the Principle Office. It was surprisingly deserted; only a few binomes worked on maintaining the system's shields, and Dot sat in a chair against the wall, as if waiting for something.

"Hey, Sis, what's up?" Enzo asked, shedding his school supplies and coming over to stand with her.

"Hey, Enzo," Dot greeted him with a smile. "Bob, Matrix, and AndrAIa think they have an idea for the disguises they'll need for the Supercomputer."

"Really? Cool," Enzo said. "They're so lucky, to get to go to the Supercomputer – even if it is all infected and stuff." A small smile graced Dot's lips at her little brother's endless enthusiasm.

After half a micro, Bob, Matrix, and AndrAIa returned to the War Room. Enzo bounded toward Bob, yelling the Guardian's name. He tackled his hero and asked, "So, what'd ya find? Oh, sorry," he realized, and he helped Bob up.

Bob showed Dot and Enzo a small clothing file he held in his hand. "We got the idea from our Game characters. This is my disguise." AndrAIa and Matrix had their own formats, which they showed to Dot and Enzo.

Dot nodded appreciatively. "Impressive," she commented. 

Enzo nodded enthusiastically. Then the expression shifted into thoughtfulness. "Since you've got everything you need . . . does that mean you're ready to go to the Supercomputer?" he asked.

"That's right," Bob answered, though no one looked at all happy about it.

There were no more reasons to put off Bob, Matrix, and AndrAIa's departure. The next second, when Enzo went straight to the Principle Office after school, he found Dot alone again in the War Room.

"Hey, where are the others?" Enzo asked.

"They're changing into their disguises," Dot answered. She waved Enzo over to sit on her lap; he complied, a little puzzled.

Dot wrapped her arms around Enzo's shoulders and rested her head against his. "Enzo, under normal circumstances, I would never mention this; but, with the . . . war . . . with Daemon going on, I want you to always be close to me. I think you should stay at the Principle Office from now on. You don't have to go to school – because, if something happened to us and I couldn't get to you in time, I – Besides, I don't think your school will be open much longer, what with all the activity going on here."

"Okay," Enzo replied calmly. Dot hugged him tighter, then let him go.

Enzo kept checking his watch for the time as ten milliseconds passed, then twenty, then thirty. Finally, the door opened and three strangers stepped out, all with pale skin and strange hairstyles.

"Dude," Enzo breathed. "Is that . . . ?"

Dot looked at the three, frowning. It was as if she had never seen the sprites before. What perfect disguises.

"What do you think Dot?" If Dot looked very carefully, she could see the shape of Bob's face under the hair and skin coverings; but anyone who didn't know Bob personally would have trouble recognizing him. She tried to point out each sprite in their disguise. "Bob? AndrAIa, and Matrix?"

"Yep," the brown-haired male answered, looking satisfied with himself. "Didn't recognize me at first, did you, Sis?"

Dot shook her head. "Not at all. So, these are your disguises? What will you say if they ask for names – and they probably will."

"We already thought of that," AndrAIa – looking more buxom than usual – replied. "I'm Lara, Matrix is Max, and Bob is Cloud."

"Alphanumeric!" Enzo shouted.

"We talked about what to do with our icons," Matrix explained, "because we can't go around the Supercomputer with Guardian icons, or Mainframe ones. AndrAIa and I already have game-sprite icons, and Bob just changed his." With a triumphant smile, Bob tapped his icon, and it transformed into the circle-in-a-triangle style of a game-sprite icon.

"I'm impressed," Dot admitted.

After her comment and the realization that it was finally time to let Matrix, AndrAIa, and Bob go, the five sprites stood still, feeling unsure of what to say next.

"Well," Bob sighed, breaking the awkward silence, "no time like the present. We should get going."

Dot expelled a heavy sigh. "All right." 

They left the War Room and exited the Principle Office. Now they stood in an empty spot before the P.O., abandoned except for a ruined CPU they had set up to be used for a tear, which would become a portal. 

Dot embraced Bob and held him close for several nanoseconds. "I don't like this," she reminded him sternly.

"I know," Bob replied with a smile, and kissed her on the lips.

Enzo groaned at the display of affection. "Are you guys finished?" he demanded. When Bob and Dot finally broke away, Enzo stepped between them to hug Bob. "Be careful," he ordered, his wide eyes betraying the worry he felt but was determined not to show.

Enzo turned to AndrAIa. "You be careful too," he said, glancing down at the ground shyly. He looked up and smiled slightly, mimicking Matrix, though neither sprite realized it at the moment.

AndrAIa smiled gracefully. "Stay here till we come back, okay?" she said, bending to give Enzo a hug. She pulled back and received a touch on the shoulder from Dot, to which she smiled again.

Dot stared uncertainly at Matrix for a moment. Then she gave him a small hug around the neck. "And you be careful too, Little Brother," she said.

Matrix gave a rare smile. "Thanks, Dot."

The only sprites who hadn't exchanged good-byes were Enzo and Matrix. Both sprites stood uncomfortably, a dead silence growing between them. Two sprites, the same code, yet they didn't even know one another.

"Um . . ." Enzo muttered, lifting his head, "good luck."

"Thanks," Matrix replied gruffly. "Uh –" He cleared his throat. "See you later."

"Later," Enzo echoed softly. Dropping his eyes to the ground again, he slowly backed up until he stood by Dot's side again. She slid her arm over his shoulder.

"You're sure you know the plan?" Dot persisted Bob, AndrAIa, and Matrix. "Just go through the portal, meet your informant, get into the Academy and set up communications, and get back to Mainframe. Stay safe, and no side-trips."

"We know, Dot," AndrAIa laughed. "We've been over it."

Dot smiled wryly. "All right," she repeated, seeming to need to convince herself that everything would go okay. "Well, it's time to get that portal open."

"I can do that," Matrix said. He pulled out Gun, resting in its regular place on his leg, and shot it at the ruined CPU. The blast from Gun turned the scrap heap into a bright, pulsing tear of energy.

Bob drew in a deep breath and gathered his Glitch-energy between his hands. He thrust it at the tear; the golden light swirled around before it changed the tear into a portal. They couldn't see much through it, only a few dark buildings.

"Let's do it," Bob sighed. Together they stepped through the portal, and it closed behind their backs.

They were halted before they reached the Supercomputer. Bob immediately shut off his Glitch energy; if any traces of keytool light were seen around them, they would be deleted sprites. Luckily, no one had given any notice of the three who had sneaked in by a portal.

The three sprites stood at some sort of limbo between systems; it was like a small bubble suspended in the Net. In the distance they could see their destination, and in front of them stood a chrome-skinned female standing beside a sleek, silvery vehicle: a search engine.

"State your name and occupation," the search engine ordered.

AndrAIa's core-com skipped a beat when she recognized the search engine as Maxine. AndrAIa kept her gaze on the dirty ground and didn't exchange eye contact with Maxine, just to make sure she wasn't recognized.

Matrix and AndrAIa glanced questioningly at Bob. He gritted his teeth and forced himself to be calm. He could remember running into some of these bubbles before the Supercomputer; they were used as a way to identify some of the shadier sprites that tried to pass through without notice. He gave a small nod, and Matrix and AndrAIa understood the silent message: Continue with the plan.

"State your name and occupation," Maxine repeated when they hadn't answered.

Bob quickly glanced around them. There were a few other sprites in this same inter-system spot, giving information so they could go on to the Supercomputer. What was more important, infected Guardians patrolled the perimeter of their bubble, with their faces hard and their hands gripping their deadly guns tightly. Bob looked back to the search engine.

"Cloud Strife, Max Steel, Lara Croft. All mercenaries," he answered, hoping that would be all it took.

"Authorization codes." How was it that security had tightened this much after a super-virus took over? But they had been prepared for this, and each sprite handed their game-sprite icon to Maxine. Because the icons had been set in another mode, they would still function but be unable to link back to Mainframe.

"Permission granted. Proceed on to the Supercomputer," Maxine told them. Bob, Matrix, and AndrAIa started forward, then halted. Bob drew in a sharp breath as he realized their new predicament: though they had sneaked in using keytool-energy, they couldn't repeat the process without arousing too much suspicion from the guards.

"What is it?" Maxine asked, her hands on her hips.

AndrAIa answered, in a casual tone, "Oh, we haven't got a ship. We were travelin' with some other sprites, but they dropped us off here."

"Get on. I'm just leaving for the Supercomputer," Maxine told them, making a "shoo" motion with her hands toward her ship. The three sprites climbed into the ship, silently thanking the grace of the User.

Maxine spent another five milliseconds briefing some other sprites heading for the Supercomputer. Finally, after two more sprites had settled themselves in her ship, Maxine took up the pilot's seat. "Do you have a strong constitution?" she asked her passengers. "Otherwise, you find another way."

"We can hold our own," AndrAIa answered with a small laugh; then she fell silent, remembering too late that she had said the same words the first time she met Maxine.

The search engine glanced back at AndrAIa, Matrix, and Bob for a lingering moment. "Have I met you before?" she asked AndrAIa.

AndrAIa swallowed and quickly covered her slip. "Prob'ly not."

Maxine shrugged and turned back to the controls. "Hold on," she instructed the passengers. The next nano, the engines came to life, and Maxine's ship streaked through the bubble towards the Supercomputer.

The trip was over in less than five milliseconds. Maxine's ship hovered in the Supercomputer's shipyard. The five passengers climbed out and set foot on the streets of the Net's biggest system. They started off in different directions, neither group giving as much as a wave back to their driver.

Maxine readied her ship to return to the bubble, muttering to herself about "what the Net has come to."

Matrix remembered glimpsing the Supercomputer -- a long time ago, when he had still been a naïve young boy. The majesty of the Supercomputer had been present in the small bit he had seen; but now it was as if the former glitter of the Supercomputer had faded to darkness. What had been a bright golden sky was now the color of charcoal, with slate-gray clouds that scuttled across. Highlighted against the black sky were eerie green veins that shimmered in the near-darkness and gave the impression of jagged claws.

The buildings that surrounded them were charred husks of their former brilliance. The cement of the sidewalks was broken, the cracks filled with bright green growths. Homes had been burned to the ground, and ragged, thin sprites darted between alleyways, always casting a paranoid glance behind them as they waded through the trash that filled the streets.

Bob swallowed hard. As much as he loved Mainframe, the Supercomputer was his home, and the destruction he saw made his core writhe in his chest.

"Where are we, Bo – Cloud?" AndrAIa asked quietly, shaking Bob out of his reverie.

The Guardian briefly concentrated, using his Glitch energy to send out a sweep of the sectors nearest them. "We're in Sector 3," he explained in a soft voice to his companions. "There are twelve sectors in the Supercomputer; if my memory serves me correctly, there are four sectors for the rich, six for the middle-class, and two for the homeless. We would be in one of the sectors where the average people live. That's good."

"Where's the Guardian Academy?" Matrix asked.

Bob didn't bother using Glitch to answer. "Sector 8, which actually isn't too far from where we are. This is my home; I know every sector by heart," he explained with a touch of pride.

"Come on, let's go find our contact," Bob said. His bravado faded as he again looked around at the homes of the middle-class citizens. Determination quickly replaced his grief, and he led the way toward the sector where they would find their mysterious informant.


	12. A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, PAR...

CHAPTER SIX

A BEAUTIFUL DAY IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD, PART 2

Following Bob's sense of direction and aided by his memories of the Supercomputer, the three Mainframers soon came upon a bar that was only a couple of blocks from the shipyard through which they had arrived. A few small skiffs had been docked outside the bar's entrance. Through the blurred windows, the shapes of sprites were dark shadows against dusky indoor lights.

"I've got experience with these kind of places," Matrix assured his friends, but AndrAIa groaned. Matrix strode right in without a second glance. Bob and AndrAIa, however, paused to take another look around before hurrying in after him.

"We shouldn't let him take leadership," AndrAIa whispered to Bob. "Last time he went into a bar, he shot up the whole place." She rolled her eyes tiredly.

The three of them were silent, however, upon entering the bar. They tried to act as the other sprites and binomes did, blending into the shadows. The three sprites, taking pains not to move together as a group, paused by the bar and surveyed the citizens who sat at various tables sipping their liquors and talking in low voices.

"Where would our informant be?" AndrAIa murmured to Bob without taking her gaze away from the other customers. "Do we know what he looks like?"

"Not exactly," Bob answered out of the corner of his mouth. "But I've got it covered. Follow me." He began to walk away from the bar. After a moment, AndrAIa followed. She tossed her head to the side, signaling Matrix to follow. Reluctant to go by someone else's plan, he nevertheless left the bar and headed in the same direction the two were going.

Bob led them to a particularly dark table in the far corner of the bar. Some sprites and two binomes sat playing a game of cards and exchanging comments. When they noticed three strangers heading their way, they immediately grew alert and focused all their attention on the newcomers.

"Whaddaya want?" growled a yellow-skinned sprite with a scar running over his bald head.

Matrix made his tone match the roughness of the other sprite's. "We're looking for a guide."

"Can't be too careful, what with that super-virusaround," Bob added. "We gotta _stay frosty_, if you know what I mean," he said, carefully stressing the words.

Something in the sprite's expression changed, as he recognized Bob and realized whom he was dealing with. He looked over them again, more carefully, as did the others at the table. "First time here?"

"Yes," AndrAIa put in. She leaned forward, pretending not to notice as the other sprites' eyes all focused at chest-level. She continued in a sweet voice, "We need a sprite who knows the lay of the land — _all_ of it."

The bald sprite looked up at Bob, who narrowed his eyes slightly in affirmation. The sprite grunted. "Well, missy, when you put it like that — I'm sure we could find someone to help you," he grinned, revealing missing teeth. "I'd be glad to show you around."

After saying some good-byes, the yellow sprite left the table. The group of four slowly pushed their way past other customers to the doorway.

"Where'd you get him?" Matrix murmured out of the corner of his mouth to Bob. The two men lagged a few yards behind AndrAIa and the yellow-skinned sprite.

Bob shrugged nonchalantly. "I've had dealings with . . . some shady sprites during my time in the Supercomputer. He's not infected, though; he doesn't work for either side." He flashed a grin. "Just to be safe, I gave him our aliases; wouldn't want Daemon finding out. . . ."

Bob and Matrix quickened their pace to catch up with their guide and AndrAIa. The yellow sprite was talking to AndrAIa, wearing a grin that made Matrix feel less than comfortable. "Now, what would a pretty sprite like yerself be doin' in this dirty old place?" he asked AndrAIa with a not-so-concealed look up and down her figure.

Matrix growled under his breath. AndrAIa shot him a warning look, but her voice was light and airy as she chided, "Lighten up, _Max_." The stern look said very clearly: Don't give any indication to our relationship. AndrAIa, or Lara, looked back to the yellow sprite and smiled charmingly, having caught on to their roles in this charade. "We've got some business here, is all. It's a dirty job —"

"–but somebody's gotta do it," their guide agreed, then chortled. "In that case, I'm Nuker. Best in my work. I know this place like the back of my hand in pitch-black night even if I'm drunk." AndrAIa grinned, but she could figure that Nuker's description probably happened often.

Bob looked to Nuker. "What's been happening recently in the Supercomputer?"

Nuker opened his mouth to ask why some lowly mercenaries would be interested in such happenings, but at the last moment he thought better of it and instead answered Bob's question. "Couple minutes ago, this rich lady Isna Radius went missin'. They searched the whole Supercomputer, but nobody could find her. They even checked ships goin' out-system, but there was no sign of her. 

"Stories pass around on the streets, and people said that Isna was still at her home. What a stupid idea, huh? But about a minute after Isna's disappearance, there was a huge explosion in her mansion. There was a bunch of data, too, like the size of a pool — it flooded the streets for seconds and even messed up some low houses in the process. People said that Isna was in her house till that night, but now she's gone for sure. 

"And it's not the first time. See, lots of rich sprites have been disappearin', fer nearly an hour — but as far as I know, they've all been women. There was a lot of time between each one, of course, but eventually, ya turn on the news and hear about another woman gone missing, with no reason at all. Now, the people I drink with" — and here Nuker glanced to the left and to the right, just to make sure there was no one else listening — "say it's all the work of Daemon. They say she's kidnapping all the wealthy ladies and deleting them so she can get power in the Supercomputer. Yeah," he sighed, "it's only a matter of time before the rich and powerful are deleted, and Daemon will annihilate the rest of us; the lowly, the unprotected."

They had been walking for almost half a microsecond, now. They hadn't gotten a ship to ride for two reasons: there had been no ships in sight, and even if they had found one, the Mainframers hadn't wanted to attract any more attention.

Nuker paused in his tracks and looked around them. "Now we're in the middle of the average' district," their guide announced. "So, where's your destination?" he asked. "You got business with any of the remainin' rich sprites — or even some middle-class citizens?"

"Actually," Bob replied, "we're going inside the Guardian Academy."

Nuker's light yellow skin paled even further, and his eyes widened in shock. "D'you work for . . . Daemon, then?" he accused, almost stuttering in his fear. "Wouldn't be a surprise, what with all the control she's got over the Net. You going to collect some sorta reward? Is that why you're here?" he demanded apprehensively, all the while edging backwards.

"No, no, we're not working for her," Bob tried to assure Nuker. "It's . . . I can't explain about it. But we're not going to endanger you or your friends."

Nuker raised an eyebrow skeptically. "The old Academy is Daemon's main control spot, I hope you know," he informed them. "It's deletion to go in there." He took another two steps backward.

"I know," Bob replied ruefully; "that's what a friend said. Look, Nuker, we don't mean you any harm. We just needed your help getting around; now we're going to go into the Academy. Here," he said, tossing Nuker fifty units, ". . . and thanks."

"You're random," Nuker told them with another shake of his head, but he kept the payment. He sighed, then turned and pointed to the south. "We're at the edge of Sector 6; the Academy is way, way back in Sector 8. If you keep going straight for awhile, you're bound to find it.

"Well, thanks for the fun, but I'm not goin' any further," Nuker told them again. He raised the fist that clutched the units. Shaking it, he said, "I'm gonna get myself a nice drink and remember the good seconds. That's what you guys should do too." With that, the bald sprite turned and left the three Mainframers in the alley.

Bob sighed. "I didn't expect him to take us any farther. I could've gotten us to the Academy myself. We just needed to know some recent events so we can figure this out. All right, I know the way; just follow me, and keep close." The three sprites turned and headed for the next two sectors, with Bob in the lead. At first they didn't talk, each caught up in private thoughts. Then Matrix spoke up.

"So, it looks like Daemon's been taking hosts for a while, like Hexadecimal said," he supplied.

"And a certain kind: wealthy females," AndrAIa put in. "That makes sense, as she's female. But why would she need hosts anyway?"

Bob halted; the other two did as well, still formulating theories.

Matrix shrugged in reply to AndrAIa's question. "Thing is, if she's got all these hosts and these houses in the Supercomputer, she's probably really powerful." AndrAIa nodded grimly. 

Bob hadn't spoken for almost a millisecond. "Bob? What is it?" Matrix asked, squinting in the dusk to see Bob's face.

"We're here," Bob answered, his voice soft; not with the awe he would usually hold for the sight of the Guardian Academy, but rather an emotion akin to horror.

The Guardian Academy had been hit the most with Daemon's Infection; the building had suffered countless scorch marks from the first battles over it, and those wormy green growths that were undoubtedly Daemon's crawled up the Academy's walls. Bob felt an awful feeling to throw up claw at his stomach and slither up his throat. Just seeing the Academy and the ruin it now was made his stomach churn and his energy boil. There wasn't a shred of the Guardians' initiative left in the imposing building. It had all been scraped away by Daemon's power, leaving a collapsed shell of Bob's childhood and all that he had grown up to believe in.

Matrix and AndrAIa stood beside Bob in reverent silence. After about a millisecond, Matrix cautiously placed his hand on the Guardian's shoulder. "Bob — are you okay?"

Bob shut his eyes and reluctantly reopened them to stare once again at the wreckage. The queasy feeling had fled, and now all he felt was burning rage toward Daemon. He swore in his core-com that the super-virus would pay for what she had done.

"I'm ready," Bob answered quietly.

AndrAIa looked from Matrix to Bob and squeezed each sprite's hand encouragingly. The meaning of her action was clear: It was just the three of them now. They could only rely on one another, and they would have to work together in order to carry out the plan.

Bob sized up where they presently stood in relation to the rest of the Academy. A fifteen-foot stone wall rose in front of them and continued in each direction for several feet. "We're actually at the back of the Academy," he began to explain in a quiet voice. 

He crept against the wall and cautiously turned the corner. "Come here," he whispered. When AndrAIa and Matrix stood beside Bob, he pointed out what he saw: Two Guardians stood guard at the Academy's back doors, guns in hand.

Matrix opened his mouth to speak, but Bob beat him to it. "We won't go past those guards now; we don't want to risk any of them calling for help at the very beginning of the plan. See this wall?" he continued. "We're at the back of the Academy; and this is the entrance to the training grounds. He crept back along the left side of the wall for several yards, with his companions trailing close behind.

They soon came to an entrance ten feet wide. Bob turned back to the others and explained, "Here are the training grounds." He pointed inside the wall. "If you go straight, you get to the doors of the dorms. That's where we want to go. If we can get through there, we can eventually get into the main Academy without any sprite being the wiser." He grinned in a self-congratulatory way.

They sneaked through the entrance and into the training grounds, always keeping close to the walls. The guards at the back doors didn't take notice at all. Once, a Guardian who was stationed at one of the building's huge spires thought he caught sight of something. The three sprites pressed themselves into the gray shadows, holding their breaths until the watchman's light passed over and past their hiding place. When it was safe again, they continued to slide against the walls.

After an agonizingly slow time, they came upon two large wooden doors. Using combined strength, they opened one of the heavy doors and slipped inside, carefully letting the door close in silence.

"We're on the first floor of the students' dorms," Bob supplied. "The students have four floors, and the teachers have the fifth." He fell silent for several moments, and Matrix and AndrAIa glanced around nervously, thinking he had heard something. But another breathless moment later, Bob opened his eyes and smiled. "I'm using Glitch to construct a map of this place," he reassured them. While he concentrated, Matrix and AndrAIa surveyed the first floor from the doorway.

The students' dorms seemed to have been somewhat spared in any attacks, but it had still been ransacked. The adult-size beds were stacked neatly against the walls, but the sheets and pillows had been hastily folded against one end of each bed. There were three dressers for clothes in the corners of the room, and these had been cracked and damaged. This room was dark, like the others they had seen; and so they almost stumbled onto the danger before them if it hadn't been for AndrAIa.

"Hold on, boys," she said, as Bob lifted his foot to enter the room. Remaining in the doorway, he looked at AndrAIa questioningly.

"There's something . . . _wriggling_ . . . on the floor," AndrAIa told them, but her voice carried a note of puzzlement.

Bob and Matrix knew to trust AndrAIa's instincts; especially her sense of sight, what with these poor-lit rooms. Bob raised his hand, and a beam of light appeared and spread its illumination over the floor before them.

"Oh, my," AndrAIa murmured, and Matrix's expression twisted into revulsion. Slimy, bright green vines slithered up the gray walls and snaked over the beds. They twisted around the beds' frames and dug into the mattresses to the point that each bunk looked filled with the growths. Worse yet, they pulsed the same sickly yellow-green tone of Daemon's Infection. 

"They look like a houseplant gone out of control," Matrix commented, though his expression looked as nauseous as the looks on the others' faces.

Bob let out a bit of Glitch-energy, probing the growths to figure out what exactly they were. What he received was a shock that seemed to reach inside his bones and send an uncomfortable shiver through him. "Don't touch them," Bob quickly ordered.

Matrix turned his head towards Bob. "You know what these things are?"

"Not exactly," Bob answered with a shrug. "But they're not right, that's for sure."

"How do we get through here, then?" Matrix questioned.

"I can make a shield with Glitch's energy," Bob suggested.

AndrAIa shook her head. "You need to conserve your energy; we don't know what we might be going against."

"But we need to get through without touching these things," Matrix reminded her.

"That's easy," AndrAIa said. "We just have to be very careful." As Bob and Matrix watched, she cautiously stepped into the dimly lit room. Taking care to tread on uncovered parts of the floor, she slowly made her way across the room. AndrAIa turned back to her companions and pointed at a stairway a couple feet away from where she stood. "If we can make it up on that, we can get to the next floor," she told them.

Bob was the next to venture into the infected room. He followed the same trail AndrAIa had, but he had his hands out in front of him, ready to zap anything with his Glitch powers. He made it to the small alcove with AndrAIa. With great pains, Matrix brought up the rear, acting as alert as Bob had been; his hand twitched anxiously over Gun.

Now the three started up the stairway. As they emerged onto the second floor, a young cadet crouched by the window suddenly bolted up and pointed a gun at them.

"Don't move!" the cadet barked. The Mainframers wouldn't have, even if the boy hadn't been aiming his weapon directly at them; they had been shocked into no movement. The infected Guardian who stared them down was barely 1.1 hours old.

"Help on the second floor!" the cadet screamed, not taking his eyes off his enemies.

AndrAIa suddenly darted forward, as swiftly as lightning. Catching the boy off guard, she pinned his arms behind him and sank her nails into the side of his neck. She released the sprite and let his body crumple to the ground. When she looked back to her comrades, her eyes were wider than usual, and she didn't speak.

Matrix swallowed once and took a few nanoseconds to study the prone figure at their feet. An inferno of thoughts swirled through his head at that moment, headed by one nagging question: _What if I had gone to the Academy when I was 1.0? _He turned away and murmured, though no one could understand what he said, "That could have been me."

They proceeded through the room in silence. The furnishings in this floor were nearly identical to the first; nothing here seemed to be different.

Two shots whizzed past their heads and gouged chunks out of the wall. Matrix and AndrAIa immediately twisted around and whipped out their respective weapons, while Bob readied himself to use his Glitch powers.

A Guardian much older than the cadet they had just faced had entered from another room. The Guardian rained blast after blast on the three sprites. He ducked behind the door to swiftly reload his gun, and then he spun back around the door to continue his ambush.

When the infected Guardian was in full sight, Matrix aimed Gun at the sprite's chest. Before he could shoot, Bob elbowed him in the side. His shot went awry and struck the Guardian's left shoulder. The sprite stumbled back and dropped the gun, which went clattering across the floor.

Matrix's eye burned with rage. "Bob, why'd you —" he started indignantly.

"Don't. Shoot. The. Guardian," Bob ordered, his voice as hard as steel. "You _never_ shoot _any_ Guardian." Matrix swallowed angrily and looked back to their enemy.

Somehow, the sprite had regained his footing. He dived across the floor to where his dropped weapon lay. Picking the gun up again, in his right hand now, he flipped to his feet and shot at the others.

Bob shot a ray of Glitch-energy at the Guardian. He flew back and hit the wall, hard. He slid to the ground in a heap. To the Mainframers' horror, the Guardian began to push himself back up _again_. His hand groped for the gun, which he had dropped for a second time, while he began to regain his balance. The veins at his temples pulsed more strongly, and he pointed his gun at the sprites.

"There's nothing here!" Bob shouted to the others. "Let's go!" As the Guardian sent more bullets their way, the three rounded the staircase they had just come up, and they skipped down the stairs back to the first infected floor. The Guardian hurried noisily after them.

Sensing the quick movement, the green vines snapped at their ankles, but each sprite safely avoided the growths. Bob ran to a different doorway and wrenched that door open. They bounded through it and shut it hard. From the other side, they could hear the Guardian pounding on the door, and his muffled curses.

"We're in the middle of the Academy, but we don't have much time," Bob panted. They raced down a hallway. Identical doors that led to classrooms were open on either side, but they passed on by and kept racing for the front exit.

Unfortunately, the second Guardian who had come after them hadn't been alone. The sound of pounding footfalls began to make itself known behind them. A low rumbling began to sound through the walls all around them, like an army of soldiers racing towards the sprites.

Ten Guardians rounded the corner on their right and began raining shots on the good guys. But the three sprites had taken this into consideration, and they had added body armor to their disguises for any bullets that might hit. Still, they wouldn't be protected forever. They ran on, with the Guardians keeping up the chase.

AndrAIa whipped her head around, searching for an escape. "How do they know we're here?" she demanded as they ran.

As they fled, Bob used Glitch to again make a map in his mind of where they stood; he noted the classrooms around them, and the position of the other offices. "Must have sent out an alarm," Bob answered AndrAIa, mentally cursing the Guardian protocol; "that's what they would do under normal circumstances. There!" he screamed. "Keep running; the doors are up ahead!"

Two large oaken doors greeted them like the answer to a prayer. Behind them, the Guardians were gaining ground on the three sprites, who were nearly exhausted from running for so long.

"Matrix — use Gun!" Bob yelled. The renegade was only too happy to oblige. He yanked Gun out of the holster and shot two powerful blasts at one of the doors, causing it to explode into splinters. They darted through the wreckage of the door, past the confused guards. The Guardians still chasing them pushed against each other to squeeze through the doors, waving their hands against the cloud of dust the sprites had kicked up.

The Mainframers couldn't rest yet, however. Just as they had escaped the huge Academy, they could hear Guardian transports powering up not far behind them. They spurred their weary legs into motion toward one of the dark spaces between buildings, in the hope of finding a hiding place.

Matrix's boot caught on a loose piece of garbage in the street, and he stumbled forward and fell to the gravel. AndrAIa and Bob backspaced and helped him to his feet.

The garbage Matrix had tripped on turned out to actually be a manhole cover that had been thrust aside. A sprite's head popped out of the manhole, and he pulled himself out. He reached out a hand to help Matrix.

Immediately on the alert, the renegade whipped out Gun and pointed it at the stranger. The sprite, also on the edge of his nerves and seeing the movement, took a firm hold of Gun and shook his head.

The Guardians' transports swerved around a corner, now in plain sight. Their guns rotated toward the four sprites. Seeing the new predicament, the stranger yelled, "Follow me!" and pointed down the hole. The stranger let go of Matrix and jumped down into the manhole.

None of the Mainframers moved; they had no reason to believe that this sprite wasn't infected. 

The sprite ground his teeth in frustration. "Get down here if you don't want to be deleted," he commanded.

They hesitated for another nano. The sound of the transports came closer. Finally AndrAIa nodded and ducked down into the tunnel. Bob and Matrix followed her quickly, and the sprite slid the cover back over the manhole.

AndrAIa's feet touched down in murky data. She lifted her boot and shook off some gooey algae. Her eyes shimmered slightly as her vision adjusted to the semi-darkness around them. Beside her, Bob and Matrix took a little longer to get used to the minimal lighting. Matrix's eye glowed red as he looked around them. He narrowed his eyes, then wrinkled his nose at the stench that had begun to press in around them.

Their rescuer glanced back and grinned briefly before he started forward. "This way. We should get some distance away from them."

The four of them carefully navigated through the data, making sloshing sounds every time they stepped. The Mainframers didn't speak as they walked; their focus was on making sure no one heard them and following the mysterious sprite.

They went straight for ten milliseconds, the winded breathing of three sprites the only noise in the tunnel. Finally, weak lights could be seen up ahead. The man flashed a hand-signal to a group of sprites holding the lanterns, then he led Bob, Matrix, and AndrAIa through a side tunnel. The lights receded, leaving them in darkness until brighter lights — and a greater amount of them — appeared. They emerged into an underground room, where sprites and binomes — male, female, all ages — ambled by.

The man turned back to them and held out his hand. The lights let them see that his red hair, partly gray, had been cut hastily and framed a purple-skinned face. He had a long scar running along the left side of his face, and he looked as if he hadn't shaved in a long while. His eyes were a warm mahogany however, as he introduced himself. "Garret."

Bob shook his hand. "I'm Bob, Guardian 452."

Garret's mouth twisted into a small smile. "You look a lot different from the descriptions I've heard," he commented wryly.

Bob's hand flew to his spiky yellow hair, and he grinned. "Yeah. We're — we're in disguises, to avoid being recognized."

Garret nodded. "Good thinking."

"This is Matrix, and that's AndrAIa." Bob introduced the two sprites, and Garret nodded at each of them.

"Matrix is also a Guardian," Bob said. "Or, at least he has some codes."

"The last two uninfected Guardians," Garret said, understanding. "Daemon wants you like it's the end of the Net." He smiled again. "Dean's going to hate that he missed this. My son, Dean, wants to enroll in the Academy," he explained.

Bob nodded. "And how old is Dean?" he asked, thinking, _Maybe Enzo could find a sprite his age._

"1.9."

"Oh!" Bob's eyes widened. It seemed Garret's son was only about three hours younger than Matrix and AndrAIa. "Um, Garret, I think if Dean wanted to be a Guardian, he should've enrolled when he was younger."

Garret eyed him for a moment, then burst out laughing. "Bob, you don't understand! My family didn't come here on vacation, nor did we actually live here before." At their perplexed looks, he explained, "We were driven out of our system by Daemon's forces fourteen hours ago. We came to the Supercomputer those fourteen hours ago, before Daemon reached it." He sighed, reliving an unpleasant memory. "When she did come, we were all made into her slaves. Luckily, Dean and I were able to escape, and we've been fighting for freedom with these refugee groups."

"Where _is_ your son?" AndrAIa asked, looking around them for a boy who shared Garret's looks.

"Heading some groups in Sector 7," he answered. "The boy can lead," he added in a proud voice.

Another refugee caught up to the four sprites. "Garret, who did you find?" she asked, throwing her arms over his shoulders and kissing him on the mouth. This woman, the same age as Garret, had smooth rose-colored skin, wide, bright green eyes, and golden hair that was tied back in a loose bun. AndrAIa glimpsed simple rings on the left hands of both Garret and the woman, and she surmised that they were husband and wife.

"This is my wife, Gloria," Garret explained. "She heads the medical center, and other parts of our little camp when I'm away. Gloria, this is Bob, Matrix, and AndrAIa."

"Nice to meet you," Gloria replied, shaking hands with each sprite in turn. She was AndrAIa's height, lean and wiry. From the look of the muscles on her arms, she had probably been fit even before her hours with the refugees.

"Please, take a seat," Gloria said. "You look absolutely drained of energy."

Each sprite nodded his or her thanks as they sat down on some crates full of unknown supplies. Garret and his wife gave their visitors a few moments to catch their breath. As the sprites let their core-com rates slow to normal, they took time to look at the scene around them. An amazing number of sprites worked and talked with one another as they went on with whatever jobs they did. Some sprites helped load supplies, and others went in and out of side rooms; but every sprite was always in motion.

"This is some sort of family affair you've got here?" Bob asked as they surveyed the activity going on around them. "You, your wife, your son . . . ?"

Gloria gave a small laugh, but Garret shrugged. "I guess you can say so."

"So, you've been here for fourteen hours?" AndrAIa asked. "How did you manage to fight for so long?"

"After the Guardians destroyed our home system, this was the first place to go. And, once Daemon took over, we had to survive." Gloria clasped his hand, and Garret gave her a small smile. "It's the knowledge that one second that super-virus is going to go back to her User that keeps us fighting."

"Well -- we'd have been deleted if you hadn't found us when you had, Garret," Bob said. "Thank you; you saved our lives."

Gloria narrowed her eyes thoughtfully. "How did you end up being chased by Guardians in the first place?" she asked.

Knowing through Garret's actions that he and his wife were trustworthy, Bob began to explain about Mainframe suiting up for war, and AndrAIa's scheme to re-set the system's communications in the Supercomputer. He finished, a little sheepishly, "Looks like we're not as skilled with sneaking in as we thought; the Guardians got us in less time than it took us to prepare for this plan."

"Don't beat yourself up," Garret advised. He heaved a tired sigh that spoke volumes of the battles he himself had fought against the Guardians. "Daemon's very skilled," he said flatly, "and she has the added benefit of those Guardians already being trained at the Academy. We've been trying to mess her up for hours. A couple minutes ago, we raided Isna Radius' mansion, but even then we barely escaped with our lives. Do you know of her?"

"We heard a little about her," Bob replied. "She's supposed to be one of Daemon's hosts, right?"

"That's right," Garret answered. "I just wish I knew how Daemon has all those women as hosts; where they all are."

"You should go together," Gloria suggested. "You need to set up your communications again," she said to the Mainframers, "and _we_ need to find out more about that super-virus. If you work together, you'll have a better chance of finding out something."

"You're right," Garret told his wife, giving her a weary hug. "I'll go assemble a good team. Come on," he said to Bob, AndrAIa, and Matrix. They followed Garret to another room.

With a sigh, Gloria headed back to the medical center. AndrAIa's words rang fresh in her mind, and, not for the first time, she wondered _how_ she could have been fighting for freedom for all these hours; how had she survived all the grief the User had put upon her? First her two little daughters — now, Garret was going on another dangerous mission, and Dean was out in the streets at this very moment. Through any small twist of fate, she could lose one or both of the only family she had left.

__

Well, that's life, Honey, she thought resignedly. _That's the way it is_.

Enzo made sure no one could saw him as he zipped over the data sea to the Twin City. He had been caught up in the flurry of preparations after the icon procedure, and after Welman had talked so angrily to the others, Dot had made sure Enzo didn't go near the other system. Enzo was fed up with the house arrest. Well, he had decided that morning, if he couldn't see his father, at least he could visit Ric. 

He was met with a surprising sight when he reached the Twin City's docks. The sprites and binomes who had come on the trading ship were loading their cargo _back_ into the ship while it hummed, waiting to go.

Enzo frowned and hurried over to where Ric and Midi were helping their mother lift wooden boxes filled with their supplies.

"Hey, Ric, what's going on?" he asked a little confusedly.

His friend didn't look directly at him as he answered. "We're leaving."

"_What_? Why?"

Ric's head shot up, and he looked almost to be glaring. "Because of Daemon, stupid!" He continued in halting tones, "Her Guardians made it to Mainframe — and, and that means the system is no longer clean. And, once she takes over your system, she'll come here, because it's right across the data sea."

No — this couldn't be. Enzo's mind raced. They weren't abandoning him, he tried to deny. They weren't leaving in Mainframe's most dire time of need. His small hands curled into fists. Never before had he felt so disgusted.

"But — but you can't go," Enzo tried to reason. "Ric, you're the only sprite my age. I need a friend."

"My mind is made up." Ric made it sound like a rehearsed answer.

"What about the people from the Twin City?" Enzo demanded. "Do they know you're going?"

Captain Rif appeared around the side of the ship, having heard their conversation. "They already know," he answered. "Dr. Matrix gave us his blessing."

Enzo couldn't answer to that. Then he saw Rif's icon — the white-and-black Mainframe PID, the same one the Acoses had. "What about that?" he asked, pointing at their icons. "What happened to being citizens of Mainframe'?"

Ric Acos looked at his icon interestedly for a few nanoseconds. Finally he said, "Maybe we'll come back one second, if you win against Daemon." He tried a weak smile. "Will you keep a place for us?"

__

Not if_ — we _will_ win against Daemon_, Enzo thought. He resolved never to do as Ric asked.

His clenched hands shook in anger. But he could do nothing except watch as the traders went inside their ship and prepared to leave.

"Please, Ric, don't go," he pleaded one last time.

The young sprite looked regretfully at him. "I would stay, Enzo — if things were different, I _would_." He started to step into the ship.

"If you were my friend you would stay no matter what!" Enzo shouted angrily.

Ric looked back, and his face was a mixture of his own anger, but also fear. "Not with Daemon here," he whispered. "She's just — she's just too powerful."

Kirstie herded her children inside. She bent by Enzo and put a hand on his shoulder. "You're a brave little boy. Good luck and Net protect you that Daemon doesn't come any closer."

Enzo shrugged her hand off, blinking back a tear.

Kirstie gave him a weary smile then she boarded the trading ship and closed the hatch.

They weren't really his friends, Enzo realized as the ship lifted off. He found that he didn't even care anymore as the ship shot past the barrier and disappeared into the Web.

A hand clasped his shoulder, and Enzo nearly jumped. He looked back into Tessa's black eyes.

"I'm sorry," she said softly. Enzo muttered something and tried to wipe his eye without her noticing.

Tessa put her hand on his cheek. Enzo stared at her, startled by this uncomfortable but soothing act.

The 1.0-hour-old smiled shyly. "I'll never leave you, Enzo," she said. "_I_ want to be your friend."

Enzo slowly smiled, and he awkwardly put his arms around her in a quick hug. He let out the breath he hadn't realized he had been holding in a sigh.

They pulled back and smiled at one another, a little embarrassed. It might have been a trick of the light, but he thought he saw a flutter of color across her arm. Enzo looked again, but Tessa's skin was its normal dull gray color.

She cocked her head to the side. "Are you all right, Enzo?"

He looked up at her. "Oh, yeah, I'm fine."

The girl-sprite put a hand on his arm. "Would you like to go back to Mainframe?"

He nodded reluctantly. "Yeah, I had better, before Dot finds out I was here. C'mon, Tessa." The two young sprites zipped back to Mainframe.


	13. A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, PAR...

CHAPTER SIX

A BEAUTIFUL DAY IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD, PART 3

"How did you get into the Academy before?" Garret asked Bob. 

"Through the back doors, actually," Bob answered. "We went through the students' dorms into the main Academy, but we got into trouble from there." Garret, Bob, Matrix, AndrAIa, and the group of refugees Garret had assembled stood at the entrance to one of the Supercomputer's sewers.

"Even if they're expecting you again, I can guarantee no one will think of you coming this way," Garret assured them. "This is how I happened to find you when you were leaving the Academy. You see, the whole system has a complex map of underground sewers, with entrances to almost any street you could imagine, and some of the more important buildings. This is one that should open up right _inside_ the Academy."

"I made a map of the Academy with Glitch," Bob said, but Garret just stared at him, obviously wondering where Bob's keytool was. "I merged with Glitch," Bob explained, and some of the confusion left Garret's face, only to be replaced by amazement.

"Good idea, Guardian." Garret grinned. "That'll help us to get through the Academy; only a few of us have been in there, and we don't have any maps."

Garret turned to the other refugees and began to speak, in a clear voice they could all hear: "All right, people, it's time to go. Follow me and Bob, Matrix, and AndrAIa, okay? When we get inside the Academy, we'll all search around for Daemon's private chambers, and those three are going to do what they need to get done." None of the other rebels asked questions or gave comments; they just nodded in affirmation.

Garret turned and stepped into the sewer's opening. Matrix, AndrAIa, and Bob followed, and then the rebels. Traveling through the sewers was much the same as when Garret had first led the other three down here: there wasn't much light, and the ground underfoot was wet and slimy. The group traveled through the tunnels like an army, not speaking, focused on the mission at hand.

Garret led them through each passing, around every corner, and even down a tunnel once. After some time of traveling beneath the sectors, Garret stopped and looked upward. Following his gaze, the three sprites could see a rusty ladder above them and a dark manhole cover that obscured the light of day.

Garret swung himself up onto the ladder and began to climb. Bob followed soon after him, and together they pushed the heavy cover off and emerged inside one of the Academy's rooms. They pulled themselves out of the tunnel and crouched by the cover, holding out a hand to anyone who needed help. Matrix and AndrAIa climbed up next, then Garret's group. Once everyone had brushed themselves off and Matrix had fitted the cover back into place, they looked around the room they now found themselves in.

"The kitchens," Bob laughed; "we're in the kitchens." All around them were various stoves and ovens, and a huge refrigerator. To his left, Bob opened two sliding doors that connected the kitchens to the next small building —

"The mess hall," Bob explained. "This is where the students and teachers would eat every second." Daemon's Infection had spread even to the mess hall: the whole place was a jumbled mess, with chairs overturned, and the long wooden tables cracked in two or three pieces.

"Nothing here," Garret decided. "Let's go the other way." Another door on their right led to the main Academy, where Bob, AndrAIa, and Matrix had been earlier that second. The group of refugees, on the alert for any Guardians, silently passed through the doors into the main building.

They stood in a hallway. Again, identical-looking classrooms surrounded them, but the sprites stood in a different section of the Academy building.

Garret looked to Bob and asked, "Which rooms do you need to go to?"

Bob narrowed his eyes in concentration as he consulted Glitch's map, while pulling up old memories of the building in which they stood. "We probably want the teachers' offices; they're anywhere around that way," he said, gesturing to his right. "I don't know what you're looking for, though."

"Anything that Daemon has a lot of control over," Garret replied. He turned in a circle, slowly inspecting all of the rooms around them. "We'll go the opposite way," he finally decided, "and we'll look for anything. You three go do what you have to do."

"Are you sure?" AndrAIa asked uncertainly.

Garret nodded decisively. "I've got it figured out. Here's a communicator," he said, handing a small device to Matrix, who strapped the communicator onto Gun. "Once you've set up your communications, you beep us if you find anything; we'll do the same."

"All right," Bob said. "Good luck, Garret. Be careful, with all the Guardians."

"You too," Garret returned. "Come on," he ordered his team. They headed toward the north, padding along noiselessly and blending into the shadows with practiced skill.

Heading into the Academy's main building and passing door after door, the three sprites were met with revolting sights. The rooms they inspected looked as if a huge wind had swept in and battered the walls and tossed the chairs and desks back and forth before letting them shatter on the floor. Whereas the dorms had had a large amount of the green vines over and through the rooms, the floors here were alive with the growths. The green vines snaked over the wood, leaving wet marks where they passed. The vines had curled themselves around the doors, and some especially tall ones had climbed up the walls and now stuck to the ceiling.

"They're everywhere," AndrAIa murmured, staring aghast at the glowing vines. As they continued with their search, the vines would slither hungrily around them, but Matrix and Bob remained alert for any sudden movements from the growths.

They had passed countless, indistinguishable classrooms by now. All had been destroyed, but none held anything of interest to their quest.

"Where are all the Guardians, anyway?" Matrix wondered. "They should be guarding these rooms, right?"

"They're bound to come, now that you've taunted them," AndrAIa teased with a grin at Matrix. He rolled his eyes and looked back ahead of them.

They approached four large offices clustered together. "These are the top professors' offices," Bob explained. "The teachers — well, back when the place was uninfected — stayed here, or they were on the top floor of the dorm." He placed his hand on the door and carefully opened it.

His intrusion wasn't completely silent, however, because three Guardians whipped their heads around as the door creaked open. Their angry voices rose in surprise, and soon gunshots blasted the door to pieces.

"And those would be the Guardians," Bob added, jumping away from the door and yanking his companions after him. "This way!"

The three Guardians left the one office and bounded down the hallway after the Mainframers, yelling to their comrades for assistance.

__

Not again, Bob growled exasperatedly in his mind as he quickened his pace. He suddenly darted around a corner, and he was relieved when the others followed his lead. Unfortunately, the Guardians were gaining on them. They were being chased down a clear, unblocked hallway; there were several open doors on the left and the right, but Bob didn't duck into any of the rooms.

"Where are we going?" AndrAIa demanded. "We need to find somewhere to hide!"

__

Come on, come on, Bob prayed silently. His plea was mercifully answered when he saw a huge wooden door seemingly rise up in front of them. _Now, let's hope no one is in there,_ Bob added to the User, knowing he was pushing his luck. "In here!" he called aloud. When they reached the door, Bob had enough of a lead to force it open and run through. Once his friends had made it safely inside, Bob shut the door hard and pressed his hands around the frame. A hard shield of golden keytool filled in the cracks between the door and the frame — except for the space at the bottom of the door — effectively sealing it from the Guardians.

Bob leaned against the door and struggled to catch his breath. Matrix looked around the large office in which they stood. On the wall there were pictures of sprites, each dressed in the red-and-gold uniform of the Prime Guardian; the most recent picture showed Turbo's proud face. "Where are we?" the renegade asked, though he could formulate a pretty accurate idea.

Once Bob could breathe properly again, he answered, "Prime's office. It's the biggest room in the Academy — second biggest," he quickly corrected himself, "so Daemon's contacts with other systems are probably here."

"They are," AndrAIa called out, her back to the other two as she crouched over a schematic of the Net. "Here, Daemon has a map of the whole Net — and the Web, too." AndrAIa frowned and fell silent to contemplate the maps.

"Can you find the communications systems?" Bob asked AndrAIa, one ear pressed against the door. The Guardians had surrounded the office, and they were discussing in low voices how best to rip open the door and overpower the Mainframe sprites.

After a few nanoseconds, AndrAIa announced, "Got it. Mouse showed me what to do," she murmured, more to herself than the others. Working quietly and occasionally muttering to herself, the game sprite slowly rearranged wires — pulling some apart, twisting others together — and fitted the wires into other sockets. She turned to a console mounted on the Prime's desk and quickly typed in Mainframe's address. For a while, the only sound was AndrAIa's fingers lightly striking the keys as she adjusted the communications system to pick up Mainframe's algorithms. Once more, she entered Mainframe's address into the console and pressed "SAVE" to ensure that it was remembered. On the map of the Net, the small, darkened blip that was Mainframe lit up.

"Finished," AndrAIa announced, turning away from the screen. She heaved a sigh of relief and even smiled at her own skill.

"All right," Bob affirmed. He looked around grimly, realizing that there was only one exit: the door they had sealed. "This is what I'm going to do," Bob announced. "I'm going to add more energy to the door, so it will explode _outwards._ Hopefully, we'll knock down some Guardians, or at least surprise them enough to get an advantage." He consulted his Glitch-map, then quickly added, "Once we're out in the open, run to the far left -- the left, you hear me?" 

Two crossed swords hung over a huge desk in the back of the room. Bob pulled one of the swords off the wall and hefted it in his hand. It was authentic, and Bob sheathed it. Though he had his Glitch powers, an extra weapon could come in handy.

Once he was sure that the others knew the plan — what would Dot think of me now? Bob would have pondered gleefully if he'd had the time to — Bob gathered the Glitch-energy around his hands. When his palms were shining with golden light, he pressed them against the wooden door and shoved with all his bodily strength. The door exploded ten feet outward, knocking down two-thirds of the Guardians that stood outside. "Now!" Bob cried out, his voice barely above a whisper. He stumbled, then willed himself to regain his footing, and he ran to the far left, around the edge of the confused group.

The three raced down empty corridors, the sounds of their booted feet echoing loudly around them. Bob's legs felt like jelly; what with all the unexpected running, and the use of his Glitch powers, he felt almost drained of energy. But if there was one thing he had learned at the Guardian Academy, it was to use all the strength he could and let the adrenaline keep him going. He would have time to regain his strength — when they emerged alive from the Academy.

"Bob, Matrix — someone!" Garret's voice, scratchy and fading in and out of volume, crackled over the communicator.

Matrix slipped the communicator off Gun and brought it to his face. "Matrix here, Garret. Where are you?"

"Somewhere near the front of the Academy, I think," Garret answered. "We're in a huge hall, and we've found — you won't believe what we've found."

"The Orientation Hall!" Bob shouted in response to Garret's words. "I had forgotten — that's the largest room in here, so it must be where Daemon's put her most important weapons. Garret and the refugees have hit the jackpot."

"We're coming," Matrix told Garret. "Bob knows the way." He placed the communicator back on Gun, and they quickened their pace. Keeping as quiet as they could and holding their breaths each time they crept past a room full of Guardians, the three sprites somehow made it past the rooms without any skirmishes.

Bob thanked the User again as he glimpsed the Orientation Hall up ahead. His relief was quickly overshadowed by queasy apprehension; if this was Daemon's most important room, what could she have in here?

Without stopping, Matrix, AndrAIa, and Bob burst through two huge doors and paused to stare in utter horror at the chamber they had entered.

It was even dimmer than the other dark rooms in which they had searched, and a dense, greenish fog hung over their heads. Carefully probing ahead, the sprites brushed past overhanging vines, but these were more docile than the wild ones that grew in the various classrooms. Clusters of the growths obscured some objects against the wall. AndrAIa leaned close to one of the objects and gingerly brushed aside some growths to see what it was. She let out a tiny gasp and jumped back. Clamping her lips shut, she went to inspect it again. She moved on to the next object, and the next, grimly affirming what she had just thought. The objects were sprite-sized pods, and inside them were the bodies of — she was absolutely sure — the missing women from the Supercomputer.

AndrAIa looked back at Matrix and Bob. "They're all here," she whispered. "All of the missing women — they're in some sort of pods, all around the walls."

"Pods?" Bob repeated, frowning. He stepped up beside AndrAIa to study the pods, and his frown deepened. "The Web creature that was hiding in Mainframe — it had these sorts of pods in Level 31. Dot said she was in one."

AndrAIa brushed some leaf-like growths off the front of a pod to better see the face of the sprite inside. The woman's skin was a dull gray, and there was no sign of breathing. There wasn't even some sort of apparatus to assist the woman in breathing; her chest was still. AndrAIa headed toward another pod and inspected it, while Bob and Matrix watched her curiously. The next sprite was the same as the first.

AndrAIa turned again toward her companions and shook her head. "They're not alive," she told them, bewildered and a little frightened. "None of them is breathing. But — that can't be right. Their bodies shouldn't be here if they're deleted."

"They must be preserving them somehow," Bob put in. "That's probably what these pod-things are for. Like I said, Dot was in one of these."

"But Dot wasn't deleted," AndrAIa argued.

"Look ahead," Matrix said suddenly, and the other sprites spun around. Matrix focused with his cybernetic eye while the others squinted in the near-darkness. Up ahead, there was a bright, orange light. Smaller, dark shapes darted around it, and gun blasts criss-crossed in the air like a laser show.

The three sprites hurried forward, toward the fire and Garret's team. Upon reaching them, Bob saw that the blasts were coming from Guardians' guns. He, Matrix, and AndrAIa rushed into the fray, searching for Garret through the din.

A handful of Guardians was keeping the refugee sprites busy, and some bodies were sprawled out on the floor, Guardian and rebel alike. A group had been cornered against the wall, and one bulky Guardian held a huge gun at them, readying to shoot. A flash of red hair alerted Bob to Garret's presence with that group, and he swiftly ran toward them.

Seeing Bob heading for them, Garret yelled, "Watch out! The Guardian — he's —"

The large Guardian turned sharply and leveled his gun at the sprite. Bob whipped out his sword and prepared to fight, but all of his spirit evaporated in an instant when he saw who it was he stood against.

Turbo. And yet, it wasn't he, because his skin was the color of iron and sickly, pulsing veins covered his face and completely hid his eyes. His mouth, the jaw hanging loose, flapped open and closed, and a low, slightly accented voice emanated from it.

"Surrender or be deleted, sprite."

"No," Bob choked out. A trembling began in his face, and he clenched his jaw against it. The quivering feeling traveled through his body in the space of a nanosecond, and his large sword clattered uselessly to the ground.

Hearing Bob, Matrix and AndrAIa hurried over. Turbo turned his gun on them as well, and they froze in place, weapons drawn.

"Turbo!" Matrix cried. "But you're deleted —"

All around them, the refugees were fighting with the remaining Guardians. Taking advantage of Turbo's distraction, the group he had fenced in now split apart to help their comrades overpower the remaining slaves. All the while, the crackling fire melted the machinery and headed toward a huge console several hundred yards away.

"They're not deleting!" a young refugee shouted. The Guardian he had just shot stumbled to the ground, a smoking hole deep in the middle of his chest. But instead of shimmering away, he flipped back to his feet and rushed at the refugee, who tripped the Guardian to the ground again. Around the room, the other refugees were experiencing similar problems with Guardians.

"That's it!" Matrix shouted. He grabbed Bob's shoulder and said, "Daemon must infect deleted sprites — that means Turbo's not living."

The rational part of Bob's processor shouted agreement, but the feeling couldn't be spread to the rest of his body. He stared down dumbly at his sword, wondering if he should pick it up now.

"Join our mistress, Daemon," the slave who had once been Turbo drawled, raising his weapon to Bob's chest while the Guardian still stood dumbstruck.

Glitch, sensing that Bob was about to be on the other side if he didn't move fast enough, squeezed around Bob's core-com, sending a magnificent jolt through Bob's body. He jerked in surprise and ducked just in time. Turbo's shot went sailing over Bob's head; and while he was reloading, Bob rose and plowed his sword through Turbo's stomach. Gritting his teeth with the power of his strike, Bob twisted the sword and forced Turbo to the ground. He swiftly yanked it out of the wound before fatally wounding him — if he had been alive, that is. No matter what, Bob couldn't fight Turbo anymore, not even in this dead form.

Sprites cried out as they were struck to the ground and shot at repeatedly until their battered bodies disappeared. Others continued to pummel their opponents, but they were ready to pass out. If it were true that all the Guardians were actually deleted sprites, they would continue to fight long after the rebel sprites fell to the ground from exhaustion.

All the while, the fire the refugees had set was growing higher. It had started in the back of the room and was building toward an inferno. Bob momentarily numbed himself to the whirlwind of feelings inside him and helped Garret pull the tattered remains of his team back together. They rushed out of the Orientation Hall, some Guardians following in close pursuit.

The raging fire rushed forward in an explosive wave, engulfing the remaining Guardians who stood standing. Bob saw Turbo duck out of the room just in time, but the other slaves weren't so lucky. The sweltering fire scorched the Guardians, and even they let out animal roars of pain. Though they couldn't necessarily be deleted like normal sprites, the fire charred through their bodies so deeply that in nanoseconds they lay, useless, on the floor.

The rebels took cover in a nearby classroom and waited for the shock waves to cease. When they stood, they saw that the Orientation Hall had been burnt nearly black.

A great shudder struck Bob then, and his shoulders sagged. He took deep, loud breaths that sounded dangerously like sobs.

"Come on, Bob," AndrAIa whispered. "Let's get back."

They trudged back towards their entrance in the kitchens, their hearts heavy with the grief that came from great loss.

Gloria intercepted the ragged-looking sprites the moment they entered the underground warehouses. She and several other sprites quickly herded those with terrible wounds to the medical center for treatment. The Mainframers had luckily remained unharmed except for a few scratches and some bruises. Garret had suffered a huge blast in the shoulder, and Gloria demanded to treat him. He grudgingly agreed, but he wanted Matrix, Bob, and AndrAIa to talk over the mission.

"That wasn't the worth the number you lost, and those who were wounded," Gloria said as she tended to Garret's shoulder. As well as his wife and doctor, Gloria acted as a tactical advisor of sorts.

Garret winced as her fingers probed his tender, burnt flesh. "But it was," he argued. Gloria clucked disapprovingly at his wound and at his reply. "You see," he said to the Mainframers, "for hours, we've been doing all we can to hinder Daemon's progress. We've set some big fires, mostly, trying to destroy her technology. But she keeps coming back," he sighed, grinding his teeth angrily.

"Now we know why," Garret continued, and here Gloria perked up a bit. Bob had explained the new, valuable information to the leader of the refugees as the others were tended. "Daemon deletes her hosts and her Guardians. But before they disappear, she preserves them in some sort of pod-things. Basically, the sprites we've been fighting are shells of their former selves; they have the face of a certain sprite, but there's no way they're actually that sprite anymore. But they're filled with something that makes them able to walk and talk and act alive."

"That makes some sense," Gloria admitted, "what with all the disappearances, and none of the bodies turning up. If Daemon's Infection works like that — that means all the missing women are deleted . . . yet they're still processing." She groaned and scratched her head. "I wish that made more sense."

"It's actually clearing up a lot of things that we didn't understand," Bob said. "We had trouble with some Guardians back home. Matrix even shot them head-on, and they wouldn't delete."

"What an amazing thing for one super-virus to do, keeping deleted sprites processing," AndrAIa murmured thoughtfully. There was a grim silence for some time, until Garret spoke again.

"Did you get your job done?"

Bob nodded. "Yes. And did you get yours?"

Garret shrugged, then pain flashed across his face. "I'd say we did. We made some more damage, however small. And now we know more about Daemon, which makes her easier to fight. A lot easier," he added as an afterthought.

"Now that we've done what we need to do, we should be getting home," Bob announced regretfully.

Gloria finished patting down a bandage on Garret's shoulder. He carefully slid his shirt back on and stood up, Gloria with him. "Thank you," Garret said, shaking Bob's hand with a strong grip. "You helped us gnaw away at Daemon's power," he added with a wry grin.

"You kept us from getting deleted, more than once," Bob admitted. "Thank you, Garret."

"Do you need our help getting out of here?" Garret asked. "You could use the sewers again."

"No thanks," Bob answered. "I figure I can portal us out of here pretty easily. I've rested, and most of my powers are back," he said, though at that moment he looked unbelievably weary.

They exchanged good-byes once more. Then Matrix shot at an empty crate, turning it into a tear, which Bob then converted into a portal. The shining light enveloped them, and then they stood back in the shipyard in Sector 3. All that was left to their trip was to pass through the bubble again and sneak back to Mainframe without the Guardians realizing. The last microsecond passed in a blur, and the next thing they all knew, they stood on Mainframe ground again.

"User above, what happened to you?" Dot cried upon meeting them outside the Principle Office. Now that they stood in normal light again, the three sprites could see how dirty and disheveled they looked, with their disguises half torn and their dyed hair out of place. The sword from the Prime's office still hung at Bob's side.

"How was your trip?" Dot asked.

Matrix gave a harsh laugh. "Interesting, to say the least. We learned a lot . . ." His voice trailed off.

Dot placed a hand on Matrix and AndrAIa's shoulders. "You two go get washed up, and meet me in the War Room in a microsecond." They obediently left, and Dot turned back to Bob.

"Hey," she said, offering him her shoulder to lean on. Bob gratefully supported himself against his girlfriend as they climbed the steps to the Principle Office.

Dot gazed sadly at the fresh grief she could see printed on Bob's smooth face. "What happened?" she asked softly, tracing a finger over his cheek.

Bob closed his eyes and felt a fresh surge in his core-com at pulling up the recent pain. "We saw Turbo," he slowly replied in a flat voice. "He was deleted, but he was still standing there." 

"Baby, I'm sorry," Dot sighed, kissing him on the cheek and wrapping one of her arms around him in a hug.

"Thanks. It was just scary." He shook his head, and Dot stared at him confusedly. "There's a whole bunch to explain," Bob said apologetically, and Dot nodded in understanding.

Bob staggered off to find a hot shower and change out of his dirt-caked disguise, leaving Dot standing alone. User, she hated this war and what it was doing to those she loved.

Thirty milliseconds later, AndrAIa, Matrix, and Bob entered the Principle Office. Dot already stood there, with Enzo, Phong, and Frisket.

"Where's Kode?" AndrAIa asked; Dot wasn't sure if it was out of interest or concern that the sprite might be eavesdropping on them. 

"He's at Bob's," Dot answered, and she saw a flicker of relief pass over both AndrAIa and Matrix's faces.

"Did the plan go successfully?" Dot asked.

"It did," AndrAIa answered. "I linked Mainframe back to the Net. Are communications working?"

"Yes, they are," Dot replied. "I checked them while you were changing. What else did you learn?" she asked, seeing the momentary discomfort pass over their faces at the question.

Bob slowly explained, with Matrix and AndrAIa's help, what they had discovered about Daemon, her hosts, and the Guardians. The others listened silently and without comment until Bob had finished. They digested this new information over several nanoseconds.

"This is bad," Dot finally said, with a ghost of a smile toward Bob.

He wearily returned it. "Very bad."

Matrix sighed and looked to the various consoles around them. "Now that communications are up, who are we going to call?" he asked.

"Already thought of that," Dot answered. "After I visit those other systems for help with Daemon, I'm going to send a message out to the Command.coms."

Something beeped loudly, startling everyone in the room. Next to Dot, a console bleeped urgently, and a VidWindow appeared, with the words: UNKNOWN MESSAGE FROM NET.

Everyone stopped what they were doing and stared at the VidWindow. Cautiously, Dot switched on a channel and said, "Hello, travelers. Are you in trouble?"

The text faded from the VidWindow, but no face appeared. "We're looking for a system," a rough male voice answered, "and some sprites, too."

Dot exchanged a look with the others. Matrix tightened his hand on Gun, and Bob tensed. They didn't answer the voice on the VidWindow.

"Isn't this Mainframe?" the voice demanded, now tinged with annoyance. They heard, "Tab, check the address again" and some under-the-breath grumbling for several nanos.

Dot grabbed the microphone and spoke into it. "Yes, this is Mainframe. What do you want?"

The man considered this, then he laughed. "What do I want? We'd all just like to say hi to some old friends." His voice shifted to a different tone. "You don't even remember The Net's Own?"

Matrix's eyes widened in shock, and he quickly motioned for Dot to move aside. He took the mic from her grasp and said to Specky, "Let them in." Then to the sprite, he said, "Come into the system."

They could hear the smile in the sprite's voice. "Now that's more like it! We're coming." The channel switched off.

Dot frowned at her brother. "Enzo, what was that about? Do you know who that was?"

"We both know them," AndrAIa answered. "They're on our side, I'm sure," she assured Dot. Though Dot didn't appreciate decisions being made without the least bit of faith on her part, she didn't protest.

AndrAIa opened up the codes around Mainframe to let the ship come in, and she, Bob, Dot, Matrix, Phong, and Enzo all left the Principle Office to see.

A sleek, though somewhat out-of-date, ship approached the P.O.'s docking bay, moving slowly and cautiously. The ship settled onto the ground, steam rising from its engines. Soon the steam cleared, and the Mainframe sprites waited anxiously.

The hatch opened, and one by one, six sprites came out. Their leader was a young man with blue skin and rusty red hair. He wore a white shirt, a red-brown vest that matched his hair color, and loose gray breeches. There were no weapons visible on his form, but that didn't mean he didn't have any. A badge was displayed on his vest with the symbol of a lion rearing on his hind legs, surrounded by the systems of the Net.

He smiled at Matrix. "It's been a while, huh, Enzo?" Then he looked to AndrAIa, and he grinned. "DrAIa — as marvelous as ever."

A tall woman close to his age sauntered over, lying an arm around his shoulders. "Are you finished with this gracious demonstration of your charming personality?" she drawled, and grinned at the couple. "Good to see you again." The woman's hair was a dark blue with streaks of silver, spiky locks flung down her back, with a few over her forehead. She wore a low-cut top without sleeves that showed the firm muscles in her arms; the same symbolism as the man's was on the hem of her shirt, which rose over her stomach. Form-fitting gray pants covered her legs down to her knees, and they were topped off with the same material as her top.

A younger man appeared next to the two sprites. His hair was cut in the same style as the leader's, but it was colored orange-yellow, and his skin was cyan. His gray eyes were hidden behind black glasses, and he wore a brown shirt covered by a dark jacket, with black pants. The same emblem was inscribed on the collar of his shirt.

A large sprite with dark dull red skin hopped off the landing ramp and came to stand next to his comrades. He was even bigger than Matrix, his head shaved except for his black goatee, and his clothes were similar to Matrix's, but with a simpler taste. He wore an open jacket embroidered with the same logo over his bare chest, and black pants. He was barefoot, and somehow he exuded a peaceful but still dangerous air.

The large sprite was arm-in-arm with a woman ten hours younger than him. She was several hours younger than Matrix and AndrAIa, probably 1.7. Dark blue-violet dreadlocks blended nicely with her young, pink-red face. She was dressed in a glitzy look, her top adorned with wing-like sleeves that glittered gold. She wore a skirt with the logo on the side, and on her feet were tall boots.

The last sprite to come out of the ship was a pudgy man, his skin an olive color. Mahogany hair that flopped into his face, around sharp eyes that took in everything and sent it back with a shrewd look. A patch covered his left eye. The same emblem the others wore was stitched onto the flap of his dark brown coat.

AndrAIa glanced back at the Mainframe sprites, standing silently. She grinned and said, "I present to you The Net's Own."

"The who?" Enzo asked in a hushed voice. Naturally, he enjoyed every bit of meeting these mysterious sprites.

The first sprite, who had spoken to Matrix and AndrAIa, laughed and said, "How can you ask _who_ we are? All right then, introductions are definitely needed. I'm Codec Router," he said solemnly, pointing his thumb at his chest. "The leader of this group.

"This is my second-in-command, Eide Cobra." The woman with the spiky blue hair grinned at them all.

Codec went on with introductions, in the same order as the appearances of the sprites. "There we have Axis Lurker. Then there's Balu Lossless, and standing with him is Tab Duplex. Finally is Dram Freeware. We are The Net's Own. We're defenders of justice, and" — he shrugged — "a little bit of mercenaries."

"Mercenaries?" Dot asked, immediately on the alert. "Who sent you?"

"No, no, ma'am," Codec hurriedly corrected himself; "we're mercenaries, but we weren't sent to Mainframe; you guys are the ones who are fighting Daemon, right? Anyway, we were on our way to our next job when we saw the system; and we wanted to say hi to our old friends Enzo and AndrAIa."

"What?" Bob asked, becoming more confused by the nano.

"Codec," Eide chided, "you're not explaining things right." To Bob and Dot and the others, she explained, "We found Enzo and AndrAIa in a system when they were about 1.3 or so; we took them in and made them temporary members of our group. They stayed with us for only one hour, but we got them well on their way to living through the Games."

Bob went over their names again. "Codec Router, Tab Duplex, Dram Freeware, Axis Lurker, Balu Lossless, Eide — Cobra?"

"Yeah, Cobra." Eide opened her mouth, exposing fangs similar to Mouse's. "I wasn't born with these, but they are permanent. So is this." She turned her back to them and pulled her hair back. Her top was cut so that they could see the tattoo of a cobra preparing to strike imprinted on her bright green skin. Bob looked at Dot with raised eyebrows.

Eide turned back around and gave them all, especially Dot, a grin. "Cobra's the way people can identify me, you see?"

Dot only nodded, but she was silently thinking otherwise. These_ are the sprites my brother grew up with?_ She had been surprised when she first saw Matrix's appearance, but now she understood where he had gotten his style — _No wonder_. 

"We could still go on to our next job," Eide mused, "but now that we've just met up with you guys, I think we could use your help — and you ours. We'd hate to impose on you, but . . . could we stay here, just for a second?"

"Sure," Matrix answered; he then realized that the decision wasn't his to make, and he turned to Dot. "Sis?"

Dot was certainly wary of these people who had come into her home unexpectedly; they didn't seem to be the most trustworthy of sprites. But she couldn't erase what they had done so long ago for her brother, and because of that she was compelled to say yes. Smiling wryly, she nodded her head.

"You could probably stay at Bob's apartment," Dot decided. "If you'll only be here for a little while, we could set up temporary rooms." She sighed at the strange, new situation. "Welcome to Mainframe."


	14. 7: Mainframers and Mercenaries

CHAPTER SEVEN

MAINFRAMERS AND MERCENARIES

****

Author's Note: I made a slight change in the scene where the Mainframers and the mercenaries are going to system Azrael. Please reread said scene, because it's crucial to the story. Thanks a lot, and sorry for not adding it until now.

"What with all the people here, I'm not going to have any room left in my apartment when this is over," Bob laughed. They all sat in the War Room, now: the two Guardians, the Game sprite, the former and current Command.coms, the little sprite, and the six mercenaries.

"I can't believe it," Codec told Matrix and AndrAIa after spending half a millisecond staring at them in disbelief. "It's been about an hour since we saw you, and you were barely teenagers. How, then, can you be my age?"

"Game-hopping," Matrix explained, "speeds up your code and makes you compile ten times faster. We were in the Games for an hour, twelve minutes. For each minute, we aged an hour."

Eide shook her head and laughed bemusedly. "And that makes _total_ sense."

"How's your eye working out?" Axis asked Matrix.

Matrix rubbed the cybernetic implant and answered, "Fine. It's great."

"What happened after we left you?" Dram asked.

"We hopped through Games for more hours — I mean, minutes," AndrAIa said from where she sat in front of a VidWindow. She seemed engrossed in her work, but she had heard Dram's question. "Then we met some old friends, took a trip through the Web, and saved Mainframe." She grinned.

"You're making me feel old and useless," Codec complained with the unmistakable wry affection of an uncle. "Granted, we've had our own adventures, but we never saved a system from total shutdown."

"We took some more jobs; protecting people, `cause that's what we do," Eide added. "Some were easy, some pretty hard. We continued our work and picked up young Tab on the way." She tweaked the 1.7-hour-old's ear.

"I'm not as young as they were when you took them in," Tab reminded Eide. To AndrAIa and Matrix, she added, "They always talk about you."

"This Daemon person sounds remarkable, from what you've begun to tell us," Axis said to Dot and Bob. "You say that she can take corpses and fill them with some energy so they walk and talk like living sprites?"

"That's pretty much it," Dot answered.

"Fascinating," Axis murmured. When Codec and Eide shot him identical glares, he quickly added, "But horrible, very horrible."

"Are you the brains of the group?" Dot asked Axis.

He shrugged modestly. "Well, yes. I have performed some surgeries on wounds, you know — Actually, I implanted that mechanical eye into your brother's eye socket when he had lost the original."

"Really," Dot said, unable to formulate a better answer.

"Yes." Axis looked extremely proud of himself.

Codec explained, "Eide and I are the two in-command chiefs. Balu is our martial-arts expert, Axis is the scientist, Dram has the ship, and Tab — our newest recruit — has a knack for mechanics." Tab grinned shyly.

"Our friend Mouse is like that," Bob said. "She's in the Net right now, with our other friend, a Web Surfr."

Dot was curiously gazing over AndrAIa's shoulder at the VidWindow in front of her. "What're you checking out, AndrAIa?" she asked.

"This is a Net-wide newsgroup," AndrAIa explained, turning away from the window. "It has information on the recent happenings in all different systems in the Net."

"Does it mention anything about our little adventure in the Supercomputer?" Matrix asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Actually, that's why I'm at the newsgroup," AndrAIa replied. "It has tons of information dating back for hours that could be linked to Daemon's activities. I'm reading over the recent obituaries — I'm looking for any sprites who could potentially be Daemon's new host." She returned her attention to the newsgroup and scrolled down through the list of recently deceased sprites, in all systems.

Balu watched over her shoulder. As AndrAIa reached the second page, he frowned and laid his hand over hers. She paused and sent him a curious glance.

"Click that link," Balu instructed, tapping his finger on the screen. AndrAIa did, and the article, from less than a cycle ago, came up.

" System Azrael: After a fulfilling life, Count Header Misoun met a peaceful end.'" Balu nodded, and AndrAIa stopped reading.

"What does this have to do with a group of mercenaries?" Bob asked.

Codec replied, "Count Misoun hired us to take care of his heir. He knew he would reach his deletion soon, and he wanted to ensure that his granddaughter would be safe. When Misoun deleted, Avina — his heir — inherited _everything_, including his title and all the systems he owned."

"Wait a nano!" Axis exclaimed, and everyone looked questioningly at him. "You told us that Daemon has been infecting young women with wealth and power. Countess Avina is relatively young — 1.8, but a legal adult in her system — and she has just inherited all of Misoun's riches —"

"–The perfect opportunity for Daemon," Dot concluded. "We have to get to the system! Where is it?"

"We were on our way before we stopped in Mainframe," Codec answered. "But now that Daemon's gotten into this, we'll need a Guardian — or two," he said, looking pointedly at Bob and Matrix.

"Whoa, hold on a nano," Dot said. "These guys just came back from a mission in the Supercomputer."

"Dot," Bob said gently, placing a hand on her shoulder, "I know you're worried about us. But this is something that, as Guardians, we _have_ to do."

Dot looked into his eyes and smiled sadly. "I know," she replied calmly, "and I'm sure you'll go. But, I'd rather you get a second of rest before leaving again." She covered his hand with hers.

"We can make arrangements for a second's delay," Codec said.

Dot nodded. "Of course. Tomorrow we'll make final plans." Without it needing to be said, the sprites separated for their homes. Before leaving for the Diner, Dot watched Bob, AndrAIa, Matrix, and the six mercenaries all head toward his apartment complex. Sighing as their forms eventually disappeared, she took Enzo's hand and led him back to Baudway.

"Morning," AndrAIa greeted Matrix, leaning up to kiss him.

"Hey," he returned, wrapping an arm around her waist. He lifted his other hand to rub at his eyes, and he tried to cover a yawn.

"Tired?" AndrAIa asked, raising her eyebrows.

"I didn't sleep well," Matrix answered, lifting one shoulder in a shrug. "It's nothing," he said, which made his significant other believe that it _was_ more than something.

"You ready?" AndrAIa asked, leading him toward the doorway with one hand.

"Yeah," her lover answered. "Thank the Net that stuff came out," he sighed, running a hand through his hair. Though he had washed his hair after returning from the Supercomputer, flecks of yellow dye had still remained around his scalp. "I didn't want to stay a blonde."

"You sure you got all of it?" AndrAIa asked, raking her fingers through his spiky hair. "I could've helped you wash it out. I still can," she offered with a grin.

"Another time," Matrix replied, stealing a kiss. "We were leaving?"

"Right," she pouted, playing with the lock of hair that constantly hung over his right eye. "The others are probably waiting."

After lunch at the Diner — some things never changed — they returned to the Principle Office for planning. The group of sprites headed back to the War Room, Dot already working out plans in her mind. She sighed sadly, wondering if it would ever end, if she would just one second run out of plans and lose. She gave herself a firm mental shake. _Not the time to think about those things._

Walking beside Codec and AndrAIa, Matrix stumbled. He froze in place for several nanoseconds, his frame trembling. The metal on the walls around him vanished and was replaced by wet, green vines. Rows of stiff, blank-eyed sprites stood before him, and the entire scene shimmered hazily.

Then the dim image brightened until his eyesight was filled with a searing light. Matrix groaned under his breath and rubbed his eyes furiously until he refocused on his surroundings.

"You okay?" AndrAIa asked, slipping an arm around his waist.

The vision had been just like the one that had troubled him the previous night. "Fine," he answered, but his voice sounded as weary as he felt.

AndrAIa still stared at him with concern. "I hope you're not coming down with something," she murmured.

Matrix snorted, and some of the worry left AndrAIa's face. "Me? Sick? I don't think so."

Codec had seen Matrix freeze, and he sent the other sprite a curious look. Matrix waved a hand, signaling that he was all right. Codec relaxed as they herded into the War Room.

"This place is getting a little cramped," Dot observed. "Used to be, there was a handful of us in here. If we get any more now, we'll have to find somewhere else to meet." She shook her head. "Let's get down to business."

"The mercenaries are right about the Countess," Bob started. "We can't let Daemon gain another host and more systems."

"Right." Dot nodded. "Codec" — the blue-skinned sprite lifted his head — "your team is already set to go to Azrael?"

"Somewhat," he answered. "Like I said, we could use Bob and Matrix's help the most, especially where this super-virus is concerned. I can spare a few members of my team to pass up the mission."

"Then Bob and Matrix will definitely go," Dot said. "AndrAIa should go with you, shouldn't she?" The Game sprite nodded. "And you?" Dot asked The Net's Own.

Codec looked over his companions and decided, "Eide, Axis, and Dram will go. Tab, Balu, and I will stay here, in Mainframe."

"Agreed, then." Codec nodded and grasped Dot's outstretched hand.

Codec turned toward everyone and spoke. "We're expected to arrive in Azrael, today, if you're all ready?" He received a chorus of positive replies. "Good. Dram, go power up the ship." 

While the pudgy sprite jogged off to do as he had been commanded, Codec took Eide aside and murmured something to her. She nodded, her eyes calm and serious. Codec concluded their conversation with a grim smile and a firm clasp of her hand.

A device at Codec's belt flashed red three times. "The ship's ready," he announced, leading them all outside.

The mercenaries' ship was settled outside the Principle Office. Its engines glowed red, and steam curled out from under the ship.

The Mainframe sprites exchanged brief good-byes. "I'm sorry you have to do this," Dot said to Matrix and AndrAIa as she hugged each of them.

"Don't worry, Sis," Matrix told her. "This is a lot less dangerous than the Supercomputer."

AndrAIa caught the older woman gazing sadly at Bob. "Don't worry, Dot," AndrAIa said. "We'll watch Bob for you." She patted his arm.

Dot laughed, albeit a small one. She hugged Bob tightly, then let go and stepped back. Matrix, Bob, and AndrAIa disappeared inside the mercenaries' ship. Dram was already at the controls; Axis, then Eide slipped inside, and the hatch closed with a _clang_.

The Control Tower created a portal in less than a millisecond, and the ship darted through. The portal closed, and the Mainframe sky shone bright, clear blue once again.

Once the three sprites closest to her had left — would this never end? she wondered wearily -- Dot retreated into the Principle Office to finalize her plans. As Mouse and Ray had promised the sprites they had met in the Net, Dot -- accompanied by Captain Capacitor and his pirate crew -- planned to visit the "living" systems, meet the Command.com of each, and set up communications so that they would be able to plan together in preparation for the upcoming final battle with Daemon.

Dot hated to leave Enzo in Mainframe, without her or Bob there with him. But she had made the plan to visit these systems long before AndrAIa had proposed the idea of going to the Supercomputer, and before the mercenaries had appeared. And Dot had to carry out her own plan.

Like Bob had said before going to the Supercomputer: "No time like the present." Now that one scheme was in motion, it was time for another to begin. Before leaving the Principle Office, Dot downloaded a casual-clothing format onto her icon, and she kept the list of the systems with her.

A few micros later, Dot, Enzo, Frisket, and Phong stood at the Mainframe docks. Capacitor and the pirates waited on another borrowed ship from Mr. Mitchell.

"I'll be seeing you guys in less than a cycle," Dot said. She leaned down to give Enzo a hug, then the same for Phong.

"Be good, Enzo, all right?" she pleaded.

"Do not worry, my child," Phong told Dot. "I will watch over young Enzo." Behind the old sprite's back, Dot could see her brother mouthing "Young Enzo, young Enzo" with a disgusted look on his face.

Dot smiled. "Bye, guys. See you in a little while." Phong and Enzo followed her to the edge of the docks, where Dot climbed into Mr. Mitchell's ship with the pirates. Some binomes loosened the ties holding the ship in place, and the ship began to float on the data sea. Those in charge of the engines switched the controls to "full power" and began to turn the ship in the direction of the edge of the system. The engines flared bright orange and red.

"Bye, Dot!" Enzo called, waving his hand wildly. The ship, having gathered its power, shot at lightning speed for the edge of the data sea. Mr. Norton powered up the portal generator. As the ship picked up speed, it opened up a portal. Mr. Mitchell's ship passed right through the portal, and it closed with a *pop*.

Phong placed an arm around Enzo's shoulders and led the little sprite back inside the Principle Office. Frisket followed, wagging his tail emphatically.

"Just like old times, eh, Dot?" Capacitor asked with a hearty laugh. "Captain Capacitor and Dot Matrix, back in business together."

Dot smiled along with him. "I can't thank you enough for coming along, Gavin. It could be dangerous."

"Ah, danger," Capacitor scoffed, waving his hand as if to dismiss the idea. "Me and me crew were getting restless; it's good to get out in the fresh air and get a little action. That's what the crew of the Saucy Mare do -- face action and fight to the death." His smile was more of a frown at the mention of his late, beloved ship.

Dot placed a hand on Capacitor's shoulder. "We'll find you another ship, Gavin. Not something to replace the Mare, but -- we'll get you a real ship, I promise."

"What's the first system, Dot?" Captain Capacitor asked thirty milliseconds later.

Dot had `booted into a black-and-white business suit and checked her appearance in a mirror. At Capacitor's question, she glanced at her list and answered, "Kompu. Mouse says the Command.com is Sans," she continued to read to herself. "He's ready to help. Perfect."

As with Mr. Mitchell's other ships they had borrowed from time to time, this one traveled quickly and swiftly through the Net. In no time, they reached system Kompu. They sent ahead a message stating who they were and what their business was.

A group of sprites and binomes had already begun to form as the ship entered the docks. As Dot was stepping out of the ship, the Command.com hurried to her side and extended a hand to help her.

"Thank you," Dot said, shaking the hand he had held out to her. "I'm Dot Matrix, Command.com of Mainframe. This is Gavin Capacitor," she explained, placing a hand on Gavin's shoulder, "captain and leader of the crew of the Saucy Mare."

"Software pirates?" the Command.com frowned. "And on your side? You have some power there, ma'am." The man smiled and shook her hand just as heartily. "Forgive me. I am Sans, Command.com of this little system. Now, your friends were here a cycle earlier, and they told us about your plan to stop Daemon." Several citizens gasped at the name, and Sans sent them stern glares.

"Yes, I'm organizing a meeting of all Command.coms," Dot explained. "We just restored the communications in Mainframe, and I'd like to be able to plan with you during the upcoming cycles until battle."

"It sounds dangerous," Sans said soberly.

"It is," Dot admitted. "I won't lie to you. This is going to be hard. But if we all want to live through the Daemon threat, we have to work together. All I can ask is that you align your forces with ours to defeat Daemon."

"That's a great speech you've got. Be sure to use it with all the other systems," the Command.com said, and Dot smiled. "I can't turn you down when you say it like that. You've got our support, Ms. Matrix — always," Sans said. "Isn't that right?" he shouted, turning toward his citizens.

"Yes!" they yelled, pumping their fists in the air.

The sprites' willingness made Dot's core-com lift, and she couldn't help but smile like a giddy child as they chanted their support.

"Thank you, Sans," she said, shaking his hand again. "And please, call me Dot."

Once Dram had set in Azrael's coordinates, the ship traveled on autopilot. He relaxed in the pilot's chair and looked back at the passengers, occasionally flicking his glance back to the controls to ensure that nothing went wrong.

Eide folded her arms behind her head and leaned back in the co-pilot's seat. "Here's what's going on," she told the three Mainframe sprites. "Count Misoun hired us to protect Avina from potential enemies, what with all her riches and power, and that's just what we're going to do. When we get to Azrael, we act like we're all the mercenaries."

"Should we tell her about Daemon?" Bob asked.

Eide contemplated for several moments. "We _should_ tell her, so she understands what's going on."

"But not in public," Axis put in. "We can't risk being overheard by any spies. Would Daemon have put spies in the system?" he asked, turning toward AndrAIa, Matrix, and Bob.

"She might have," AndrAIa answered. "We've dealt with some Guardians in our own system already. It depends if Daemon even knows about the Countess. We just found out ourselves."

Axis was sizing up the Mainframers. "We don't have any disguises," he murmured. "I hope she doesn't recognize two Guardians."

"We can fix the Guardian part," Bob said. He and Matrix simultaneously turned their icons to game-sprite mode; AndrAIa's had already been switched. "Other than that," Bob continued, "we can't change anything."

"_Great_," Dram sighed, his voice edged with an irritated growl. "Our whole cover could be blown by the _Guardians_." He frowned and had trouble speaking the word, as if it were a vile thing that dirtied his tongue. All eyes turned to him; his fellow mercenaries looked annoyed, while the Mainframers were more puzzled.

Eide heaved her own sigh and rounded on Dram. "You listen to me, Freeware," she snapped. "Bob and Matrix are Guardians, but they're clean. Daemon hasn't infected them. _They're on our side._ So I don't want any B.S. from you about it." Her companion's jaw tightened with anger, but after stubbornly glaring at Eide, he broke the gaze and turned back to the controls without a word.

Bob opened his mouth to ask what was going on. "It'll be fine," Eide assured him before he could speak. "Just follow my lead."

"Location of Azrael is confirmed," Dram announced, his voice more timid than a moment earlier. "We've got about a half a micro till we reach it. If you want, you can get some shut-eye. I'll keep an eye on the controls." He frowned and rubbed the patch over his left eye thoughtfully.

Bob, Matrix, and AndrAIa settled back in their chairs, but none of them were tired enough to sleep. There was silence in the mercenaries' ship.

Finally, the thirty milliseconds were up. As Dram announced their descent into Azrael's atmosphere, the sprites sat up and stretched while Dram gave their identification to the Azrael inter-system guard. The other five crowded around the windows to see the huge system. Azrael was the size of Mainframe _and_ the Twin City put together. In the distance, the naked eye could make out the shapes of at least three other systems, connected by bridges to Azrael as the Twin City had been to Mainframe.

The ship emerged into Azrael itself and touched down on a landing pad on top of the star-shaped Principle Office. Once the ship had docked safely, it was brought down to the docking bay. Guards were present to help the mercenaries and other sprites out of the ship, and other guards made sure the ship was closed off. 

As they stepped off the transport, Bob caught Eide's arm. "What was that thing all about with Dram?" he murmured, casting a glance back at the ship. Dram was still inside, powering down the controls while a squad of Azraelian guards waited.

"Dram has a problem with Guardians," Eide answered. "It's nothing personal, at least not toward you or Matrix; I think he had a bad encounter with some awhile back. Don't worry," she assured Bob, seeing his concerned look, "he's always been like that. He needs someone to blame the smallest things on."

Feeling slightly better at ease, Bob laughed. "Yeah, I know a couple of people like that."

The first group of guards led the six sprites to an upper level where, they explained, the Countess would be.

In place of the Command.com's office, there was one for the Countess. A small dais was set up in the center of the room, on which a young woman sat in a chair overseeing the happenings. As the sprites entered the room, she stood and approached them.

"Welcome to System Azrael. I am Countess Avina Param Misoun, overseer of this system and others with it."

Countess Misoun was 1.8, as Axis had said. Her skin was a pale brown color, and her long indigo hair had been braided and piled onto her head. She wore a headdress over her braided hair, and a long, dark red dress that reached to the floor.

Another female sprite stood calmly beside the Countess' chair. This sprite's skin was a smoky gray, like a pale gray pearl, and her mahogany eyes stood out in her pale face. The sprite's hair was crystalline, and cut sharply around her shoulders. Though at first the color of her hair seemed transparent, as she turned her head, it caught a multitude of colors in the light that shimmered through her hair. The second sprite didn't hover beside the Countess; rather, she seemed to easily meld into Avina's shadow.

"Allow me to introduce my court," Countess Misoun said. "This is my bodyguard and shadow', Ferias." She gestured to the pale, silent woman behind her. "And these are my trusted guards — the best fighters in their training classes." Four guards ringed the perimeter of the office, watching the new arrivals.

The 1.8-hour-old's dark blue eyes carefully studied the six who stood before her. After half a millisecond of scrutiny, she seemed satisfied with them. However, the Countess did raise an eyebrow when checking the number of sprites who had entered her system. "I understand that Grandfather wanted me to be well taken care of," she murmured thoughtfully. "Are you _all_ of the mercenaries he hired?"

Bob swallowed and stepped forward. "Yes, your Grace. We are — the —" He fumbled to remember.

Eide fluidly stepped to Bob's side and clasped his arm. "The Net's Own, Your Grace," she finished. "We were hired to protect you."

Avina nodded. "Very well." Her forehead crinkled slightly. "And yet, so many of you?" She shrugged and turned to step off the dais. Ferias was immediately at her back, and two of her guards walked beside her. "Please, come with me," the Countess called back. The "mercenaries" quickly followed her.

Seven systems, some not even completely intact. The seven on Dot's list were the only systems Mouse and Ray had visited before starting toward the "dead" ones. Though they had strengthened Mainframe's power with Kompu, Dot's hope began to falter as they visited each of the other systems on Mouse and Ray's list.

Granted, they had made more allies. Word of Mainframe had been spoken nonstop in the last cycle, and the sprites and binomes let out cheers when they saw the pirates and Dot approach their system. Systems Trimmean, Hyperlink, and Paix welcomed the Mainframers with open arms and enthusiastic determination to help. In the other systems, the sight of abandoned, run-down homes and eerily silent streets gripped Dot's core-com with a chilled hand.

"The last system on the list," Dot found herself announcing four seconds after they had left Mainframe, "is Hybris. The Command.com is Galero — he's not supposed to be too bright."

"Take us down, Lad," Capacitor instructed Mr. Jimmy, and he brought the ship into the system.

"Great," Dot muttered. Upon entering Hybris, she could already feel the quiet of an abandoned city. Her muscles tensed involuntarily in preparation for what they would find.

Though Mouse had mentioned Hybris' Command.com, no one came out of the crumbling Principle Office to greet them. Capacitor hurried off the ship beside Dot and lingered by her side, darting his one eye back and forth as she cautiously studied their surroundings.

"Come on, Gavin," Dot said, mustering her bravery. As they entered the Principle Office through a rusting metal doorway, a memory from long ago returned, too clear for her liking. Ever since the destruction of the Twin City, Dot held a sickened disgust for blackened, decimated areas. It reminded her too much of her own loss and the gnawing pain that came with it.

"Hello?" she called out, if only to comfort herself with some noise. Her voice echoed off the walls without an answer. "Mr. Galero?"

A gangly sprite popped out from around a corner, brandishing a large gun. "Dirty sprites," it hissed, and shot at them. Dot ducked, and the pirates jumped behind a doorway.

Dot leapt to her feet, dropping her list and yanking a small blaster out of its holster. She aimed it at the sprite's gun hand and pulled the trigger. The sprite let out a screech that made Dot's ears ring, and it stumbled to pick up the gun in its other hand.

"Gavin!" Dot shouted. The Crimson Binome was right at her side. He jumped forward and restrained the sprite in a file-lock. The sprite's head was free, and he hissed and cursed at Dot, who held her gun out for protection.

She narrowed her eyes and studied their attacker, then drew back in shock. "Galero?"

"Dot — ye should see this," Capacitor said, his voice strangely quiet. Keeping her gun trained on Galero, Dot circled around him and looked at the back of his head. Her mouth dropped open when she saw the pulsing veins that covered his fatal head wound.

"He's not alive," she whispered. "Oh, User, Daemon got to him! But what about Mouse and Ray?" Dot handed her gun to Capacitor and retrieved her list of the systems. She hurriedly flipped through the notes until she found Mouse's last posting. " System Hybris. Going to System Freenet, will send information soon.' User, Mouse and Ray are heading into a trap. They could already be captured!

"Captain, you and your men guard Galero," Dot instructed. "I'll be right back." She ran out of the Principle Office and back to their ship. Once she had jumped into the transport, she quickly powered up the ship and searched for communications. She punched in the code for _Ship_'s private channel and waited impatiently for a connection.

The console beeped affirmatively, and Dot spoke into the mic. "Mouse, Ray, can you hear me? Mouse, Galero in Hybris was lying. He was infected. The Guardians are probably in Freenet. You have to —" The connection broke abruptly, with no assurance that the sprites had received the message.

Dot punched in the code again, praying that it would be picked up. The machine beeped three times, then text scrolled across the screen: UNABLE TO MAKE CONNECTION. RECIPIENT MAY BE TOO FAR AWAY TO RECEIVE MESSAGE.

Dot slumped in the pilot's chair and covered her face with her hands. "No."


	15. Mainframers and Mercenaries, PART 2

CHAPTER SEVEN

MAINFRAMERS AND MERCENARIES, PART 2

"Freenet's up ahead," Ray announced, looking at the map of the Net over Mouse's shoulder.

The hacker took another look at the codes, her eyes darting across them for any sign of a false address. It was all there, and when she finally took her eyes away, she couldn't help but smile.

Before them hovered a huge golden sphere, shimmering brightly against the dark green atmosphere of the Net. As _Ship_ approached, Freenet seemed to fill the viewscreens entirely.

"It's beautiful," Ray said with a grin.

As they passed through the hazy bubble, Mouse's spirits soared. She leaned forward for her first sight of Freenet — and her core-com plummeted into her stomach, ripping through her insides.

Right in front of them, a huge, black crater stretched hundreds of feet. Mouse drew in a shuddering breath as the horrifying realization hit her like a sharp slap. The crater before them was all that remained of Freenet's Principle Office.

Beside her, she heard Ray utter a soft "No." Mouse's shoulders sagged, and she leaned against the console for support. Her former euphoria had fled. Now, deadened shock filled its place. Somehow, the Guardians had found this place and destroyed it. Hours ago, a sight like this wouldn't have bothered her — even now, she knew she shouldn't be feeling so emotionally attached. But it was the pure ruin around them — a murderous act that had been committed simply to destroy — that made her stomach clench, and her throat tighten painfully. She forced her fingers to work and bring _Ship_ down. She landed _Ship_ outside the horrible crater of the command center.

"Maybe there are some survivors," Ray offered, his voice sounding scratchy. He took Mouse's hand, and together they left _Ship_ and carefully stepped through the rubble on the streets, completely avoiding the crater.

"Look," Ray said softly. Mouse turned in the direction he was gazing, and she saw a spot that resembled a child's playground. Ray looked behind them and saw the remains of a play structure, the paint peeling off the rusty metal. Two small swings, held up by chains, were motionless in the still air.

They continued on, passing silently through another sector of destruction. It seemed that the Guardians hadn't spared anything. All around them was unthinkable annihilation.

The husk of some sort of office building stood before them. Its many windows had been blown out, and soot ringed the window frames. Three of the walls had been torn away, leaving one lone wall crumbling. Inside one office, a few remains were left: a desk and two chairs, one with its cushion torn away.

"Ah don't get it. How could we have come here too late?" Mouse asked no one in particular. "And Galero — wouldn't he know if Freenet had been attacked?"

Her words hung in the dead air, and suddenly Mouse realized the truth. She whipped her head around and stared at Ray. His eyes locked onto hers, and then he understood.

"It's a trap," Ray said, if only to vocalize their realization. "The Guardians —"

A huge laser sang through the air and gouged the cement two feet from where they were standing. Mouse and Ray flung themselves to the ground and looked around wildly until they found the awful answer. They were being tailed by a Guardian transport — they probably had for the last half a microsecond.

The transport that had shot at them aimed for the two sprites again. They leapt up and ran as fast as they could. They ducked behind the one wall of the office building, and the transport's shot narrowly missed them. But soon the ship would come around the building and discover them.

Mouse peered through a window, trying to see the first sector they had landed in. She was met with the dismaying sight of two other transports surrounding her ship. A white beam from one had attached to _Ship_, holding it still.

"They've stop-filed it in place," Ray said, voicing her thought.   
  
Mouse nodded. "Even if we can get inside, we wouldn't be able to get away," she finished. Her hands clenched into fists so hard that her nails dug into her palms. "Ah don't know about you, Sugah, but Ah'm not goin' down without a fight."

Ray smiled grimly. "Somehow I didn't think any differently. I'm with ya all the way."

Still watching the transport as it circled them, Mouse climbed onto Ray's Baud and linked her arms around his waist. "On three, we fly for _Ship_," she told him. "Ah know it's slim chances, but it's our only way out."

"Got ya," Ray said, and she could sense the unease in his voice. She heard him swallow, then: "Mouse, I —"

"Ray," she said quietly, placing her hand over his. "Tell me when we get out of this alive." She took a deep breath. "One . . . two . . . three!" Ray kicked off from the ground, and they sped around the side of the wall and toward _Ship_. They passed the first transport in a blur, but one of the transports guarding _Ship_ swung their weapons around and shot at Mouse and Ray. A containment field surrounded the two of them and the Baud, freezing them in mid-air. The captured sprites clattered to the ground.

Countess Avina treated her guests with the greatest of courtesy. They were led to spacious, well-furnished apartments in Sector 6 and given individual rooms. As the sprites were settling in, they received a message from the Countess that they were also invited to dinner at the Principle Office.

"Quite the royal treatment we're getting," Bob laughed as they entered the Principle Office again. The building was more like an elaborate court than a cluster of offices. They were led to a huge dining room, in which a large group of sprites already sat. The six sprites took seats at the end of the table, keeping the Countess in view. She smiled politely at them, then turned back to a sprite she had been talking with.

The gloom Dot had been feeling over the last few cycles lifted considerably when her home system came into view. The sight of Mainframe, sparkling with new life, made Dot mentally thank the User.

Captain Capacitor stood beside her, gazing with equal admiration at the city. "Mr. Jimmy, send out a signal to Mainframe, so they know we're back," he called. Mr. Jimmy saluted and jogged towards the communications console to carry out the order.

The ship slid smoothly into place at the section of Mainframe's docks that hadn't been damaged when the unexpected surge had hit it a minute or so ago. Once the ship was safely docked, Capacitor and his pirates personally escorted Dot back to the Principle Office.

"Welcome back, Dot," Phong greeted her the moment she stepped inside the colossal structure. Dot hugged her old friend happily. Pulling away, she looked around for Enzo, wondering where he could be.

Suddenly, a portal opened to the right of them. Enzo tumbled out, followed by Hexadecimal and Tessa, who stepped out more smoothly. Phong coughed delicately and glanced away.

Enzo leaped up, unfazed by his fall. "Dot!" he cried and ran toward his sister, wrapping his arms around her waist.

"Hey, Enzo, I missed you," Dot said with a smile as she returned his enthusiastic greeting. After a moment, she looked from Enzo to the other two who had come out of the portal, and she frowned, feeling suspicious. "How were you when I was gone?" she asked, looking down at Enzo again.

"Oh, we were fine," he answered nonchalantly. "I played with Tessa and Hex for awhile, when Phong was busy."

"Oh," Dot said, a little surprised. "That's . . . great," she quickly added.

"How was your trip, Dot?" Phong asked, wheeling up beside her again.

"Mostly all right, except for the last system, Hybris," she replied as the group headed for the War Room. "The other systems weren't all as inhabited as Mainframe, but they weren't completely empty, either. We spread the word through those systems, and they should do the same for any systems close to them that we may have missed. All that's left is to send a message to those systems." 

"What about that last system?" Phong asked slowly.

Dread resettled in Dot's chest at the question. "The Command.com was infected by Daemon, and he sent Mouse and Ray towards another system. There could be a trap, but I couldn't warn them."

"We have no choice but to see how it works out," Phong said gravely.

Dot nodded somberly. She wished she had better news, but the impending danger for her friends prevented her from fully exulting in her successes.

Ray groaned as he hit the ground with a _thump_ for the fourth time. He was conscious, though his processor was still moving sluggishly. Mouse's elbow dug into a bruise on his side, but thank the Net he was alive. Yet, he couldn't help thinking, _What would the Guardians to do live captives?_

He was lifted and thrust through a doorway, then herded down a poorly lit hall. Ray opened his eyes, hoping to see something, but he was still surrounded by near-darkness. He could make out shimmering orange hair beside him, and he grabbed Mouse's arm.

She hissed angrily until she realized who it was. "Ray —" she whispered.

"You're okay, right?" he asked, holding her arm tightly.

"Ah'm fine," she answered softly. "Are you —"

"Quiet!" a Guardian barked as their captors pushed the two along. Mouse and Ray were jostled roughly through darkness and finally pushed into a dim cell.

Mouse rolled over onto her side, her arms still bound behind her. Ray was in the same situation. 

The guards cut Mouse and Ray's bonds, letting the sprites rub circulation back into their wrists and arms. Their feet were still bound, but Ray propelled himself at the cell door. The guards who held his Baud pulled it back before he could reach for it. They kicked it sharply, laughing derisively as Ray stumbled back, his body convulsing in pain. Finally, they stopped, and one carried the Baud away to be locked up.

Ray lay on his side, gasping quietly. Mouse crawled over to his side and stroked his shoulders. "Oh, Ray. Are ya all right?"

He took a steady breath and slowly pushed himself to a sitting position. "I've been better," he replied, wincing as he took another breath. He rubbed his aching chest for a few moments.

Mouse took his hand and held it in her own. Her eyes locked with Ray, whose gaze was grim. "We're in trouble here, Mouse," he said quietly.

She sighed and nodded, then returned to looking around them. Her eyes scanned the room, searching for a way out.

It would be hard to get past the guards, she realized first-hand. They were all bigger and most likely a match for her, if not stronger. The thought of reasoning with them had been erased from her list of options as soon as she saw how far into the Infection they all were.

Once more she gazed at each of their eyes for the sprite inside, a sprite that resisted Daemon's control. But each pair of eyes was clouded over by green veins.

Then, her eyes locked with a pair of blue ones that were clear, without the veins. She studied the sprite more closely. He was a young Guardian, roughly her age, with pale blue skin and neatly cut bright dark brown hair. Mouse felt her pulse quicken as she recognized the sprite, and she whispered a name.

"What'd you say, love?" Ray whispered with a frown.

The brown-skinned Guardian roughly kicked the younger sprite, who had begun to daydream. "Stand straight, Soldier!"

"Yes, sir," the Guardian muttered, changing his position. He didn't meet Mouse's gaze again.

Dinner had been as normal an affair as any. Avina was slowly becoming accustomed to her daily routine, and her duties as Countess and ruler of Azrael. After all, she was used to guards standing around her grandfather when he had been processing as Count, so the appearance of the six mercenaries didn't bother her.

Those six sprites trailed behind her and Ferias now, as they started upstairs to her room. She glanced over her shoulder once and confirmed that all six were behind her. Avina couldn't help thinking that these sprites might be taking their job a little too seriously, escorting her to her room when she had her own personal bodyguard. Nevertheless, she put it out of her mind as she arrived at her room.

Her hand on the doorknob, she called back to the mercenaries — what had they called themselves, The Net's Something-Or-Others? — "Good night. I'll see you in the morning." She turned the knob, and she and Ferias stepped inside. Before Avina knew what was happening, the other six had followed her inside her room. One sprite shut and locked the door, and Avina's core-com stopped in a moment of panic.

"What are you doing?" Ferias demanded. Avina slowly turned to face the six visitors, and she was relieved to see that they held no weapons — though the large green sprite always carried that gun. . . .

"We have to talk to the Countess," said Eide, who was the leader of the group.

"We won't hurt you," one of the other sprites added.

Ferias barked a laugh. "I've just met you, and you've locked the door to the room. I don't know how easily I'll believe you."

"It's all right, Ferias," Avina spoke up haltingly, and all eyes turned to her. "These people don't mean us any harm." As she said the words, she knew it was true. Avina could sense the nature of individual sprites; and from these people, all she felt was protection.

"Thank you," one of them, who had spoken before, said. This man, blue-skinned and silver-haired, suggested, "Why don't you sit down, Your Grace?"

Ferias, watching the others sharply, quickly sat beside the Countess on her bed. Avina folded her hands in her lap and asked, "What is it you need to speak with me about?"

The blue man sat on a chair facing the Countess. He took a deep breath and began. "Your Grace, we came to Azrael to protect you from any possible threats. But it turns out, you're in danger right now." Ferias' hand hovered over her blaster.

"Not from us!" the man quickly said. "There's a super-virus, called Daemon, who is slowly taking over the Net. I don't know if you've heard of her" — the Countess slowly shook her head — "but she takes hosts." Now Avina looked blank.

A woman with blue hair knelt by the Countess and offered, "Let me explain. Daemon takes bodies of deleted sprites and preserves them. Then she fills them with her own code, so that she can communicate through that form."

"What does this have to do with me?"

"So far, Daemon has only taken rich female sprites — young ones, if she can — as hosts," the blue-haired woman answered. "So, we immediately assumed that Daemon might come after you, as this is the richest system we've ever come across. Do you understand?"

The Countess nodded. "Slowly, yes."

"Who exactly are you all, then?" Ferias asked.

The man who had first tried to explain said, "You might know who I am. I'm Guardian 452, Bob."

The Countess' eyes widened in surprise. "Yes, I recognize you," she said. "I mean, I've seen pictures, but you look different from those. Now that you mention it, though, I see the resemblance."

Bob gestured to the two sprites who stood beside him, the green man and the blue-haired woman. "This is Matrix, and this is AndrAIa. The three of us are from the system of Mainframe. We've been fighting Daemon for some minutes now. When we discovered that she might come after you, we came here."

"But — what about the mercenaries my grandfather hired?" Avina asked.

"We are the mercenaries," Eide replied, indicating herself and the two other men. "There were six of us, but the three Mainframers came here in place of my other comrades."

The Countess rubbed her temples wearily, trying to absorb everything. She finally looked up at the sprites, her expression solemn. "But how will we know if Daemon is here?"

"Trust me, we will," Eide answered.

AndrAIa laid a comforting hand on Avina's shoulder. "This is a lot to take in. Why don't you get some sleep now?"

The Countess nodded, gathering her thoughts and expelling a deep breath. She stood up, Ferias rising with her. She extended a hand to Bob and said, "Thank you — I think. We'll discuss this further in the morning." The six sprites left, leaving Avina alone to quietly sort through this new threat to her life.

Mouse and Ray had to wait for the Guardians to leave before they had a chance to talk freely.

He scooted over to her, working at the ties securing his legs. "Who _was_ that bloke, anyway?" he muttered, loud enough that she could just hear him but not so loud that the guard in the front of the room picked it up.

Mouse glanced down. "His name's Ethan Hertz. He was — an old flame, ya could say," she answered in an equally quiet tone.

Ray's eyebrows shot up, and he glanced the way the young Guardian had gone, with the others. He looked back at Mouse, and she could guess the reason for his stare. "Is it just me, or do you have some sort of thing for blue Guardians?"

"`Course not, Honey," she laughed, swatting playfully at him. "Ah'm with you, aren't Ah?"

"So . . ." Ray prodded her.

"So . . . Ah met `im in the Supercomputer, a while before Ah knew Bob. We were only together fer a short time, then we broke up and never saw each other. Ah didn't forget him, though, but I hadn't really thought about him `till Ah saw him, just before."

Ray was about to say something, when Mouse spoke up again. "Ethan said he wanted ta be a Guardian in some faraway system — lots of young Guardians were like that, wantin' ta be important in places where no one knows their name. Anyways, Ah bet he made it there — then Daemon crushed his dream."

Ray saw the mix of anger and sadness on her face, as her voice didn't betray it. He put his arms around her and held her close. "It's okay, love. I wonder if he could help us?" he volunteered.

Resting her head against Ray's shoulder, Mouse looked back at him. "Ah think he could," she said. "Really. Ah saw his eyes — he's not as infected as the others. There may still be hope."

Over the last few seconds, Tessa had begun to feel . . . strange. She had no idea what was wrong with her, but that it was far different than anything she had felt in Mainframe so far.

The first time it happened, she was sitting beside Hexadecimal in her lair, when her hands started shaking uncontrollably. Tessa looked down and gasped in horror. It looked as if her skin were flashing different colors. She stuffed her hands in her lap, scared. When she dared to look again, her skin was back to normal.

It happened a few times a second. She could never tell when it happened — and the strangest thing was it didn't hurt at all. She knew it should, but she felt nothing but a little tickling. 

It was as if she were changing. The thought left Tessa puzzled, but she couldn't think of any other reason for the strange mutation of her code.

The darkness in the cell had became blacker, so Mouse assumed that it was getting to be nighttime. A guard came to bring them food, but Mouse turned her back and stared grimly at the thick stone wall.

"You gonna turn me down?" a familiar voice questioned near her ear, and Mouse gasped and jumped, banging her head against the bars of the cell. Growling under her breath and rubbing the bump on her head, she turned around to confront the Guardian. "Ethan," she whispered, feeling a twinge in her core-com.

His smile was barely visible in the darkness — or was he even smiling? "Mouse," he replied in kind, reaching between the bars to clasp both her hands in his own.

Mouse squeezed his hands tightly and was content to just crouch there, until she heard Ray, who had been resting, mutter, "What's going on?"

Mouse turned her head and called softly, "Ray, Honey, Ethan's here."

"Ethan —" the Surfr muttered as he pushed himself to his knees and crawled over to them. The nano he saw Ethan, his expression became alert. "Oh."

The smile on Ethan's face receded into a blank stare, and he dropped Mouse's hands. Mouse looked between the two men, and after a moment of silence she prodded, "Ethan, what're ya doin' here?"

Ethan looked back to her and smiled warmly. "I saw you earlier, but I couldn't go to you then, or Daemon would know that I'm not under her control. I convinced the Guardians to let me guard you two tonight. The other guard is knocked out," he added.

"Who's to say you're not infected?" Ray demanded.

Ethan turned a withering glare on the Surfr, but Ray returned it with full force. Ethan finally looked away and dug a hand into his boot. He came up with a small piece of metal that glinted pure silver. "_I'm_ to say I'm not infected, since I'm getting you out of here," he retorted, tossing the blade to Mouse. She easily caught it, and Ethan explained, "It's a special knife; it can cut through anything."

The knife sliced through the tight bonds on Mouse's ankles as if through butter, and she whistled approvingly before passing the blade to Ray. He had his chains off in less than ten nanoseconds and grudgingly returned the blade to Ethan.

"Now, keep quiet," Ethan instructed. "I'm going to open the bars. Then, follow my lead." He punched in a code, and just as he said, the bars rose with a creaking sound. Mouse and Ray slipped out and followed Ethan out of the dungeons.

"The exit is this way," Ethan said. "Your ship should be docked there." As they were jogging toward the exit, Ray called, "Wait!" Mouse turned around, and after a moment, Ethan did too.

"I need my Baud," Ray explained. "Where is it?"

Ethan shrugged, his eyes dark with irritation. "How should I know?" He sighed and closed his eyes in thought. "It might be in that room, adjacent to the dungeons," he said, pointing. "You go get your board-thing, and Mouse and I will start up the ship."

"Look it, buddy," Ray said, "I care a lot about Mouse, and I don't know if I trust you." It was too dark to see, but Mouse's face flushed at his words. "Do you think I'm basic, to let her stay with someone who is infected?"

Ethan pulled his hair away from his forehead. Bright green veins marked his forehead, but they pulsed only around his temples. Ray couldn't deny that he'd seen Guardians with veins covering their entire faces. "See this? I'm not fully infected. I can fight her Infection, just like Turbo."

"Turbo was deleted," Ray replied flatly.

A panicked look flashed across Ethan's face, as if he were surprised that they knew that information. He recovered and said gruffly, "Look, you can trust me and get out of here, or you can be tortured and infected. Believe me, the latter is not a fun ride."

"Ah trust you," Mouse said. She looked to Ray and shrugged. "Ray, he's all we've got." 

Ray reluctantly nodded and set off at a run for the room Ethan had indicated. Sure enough, his Baud lay among a pile of junk. He climbed on and hurried back toward the exit. The sprites were nowhere to be seen. Ray smashed through the doorway, wincing as he acquired new bruises. He could slow down when he had caught up with Mouse and Ethan, he told himself

A long platform stretched ahead. Looking up, Ray saw the familiar shape of _Ship _rise into the air and turn toward him. He crouched low on his Baud and rushed toward _Ship_.

Suddenly, he was aware of loud, blaring sirens. Ray risked a glance behind him and saw that Guardian transports had risen silently from behind the compound and were now headed for him. But how could they have known? Perhaps Ethan had set off some silent alarm when he was freeing Ray and Mouse.

Maybe Ethan had triggered an alarm purposefully.

As Ray hurried out onto the platform, he saw Ethan running alongside him. Both sprites hurried toward the ship.

In front of Ray, Ethan paused for a nanosecond. In the blink of an eye, a spike came out of the end of the Guardian's boot, and he gouged it into Ray's surf Baud. Ray choked on his scream and flipped off his Baud, his Baud clattering to the ground beside his body. The spike was gone in the next moment, and Ethan continued on as if he hadn't noticed Ray fall. 

There was no time to ponder Ethan's betrayal. Ray jumped up and, clenching his teeth against the pain, hopped back onto his Baud and sped after Ethan.

Mouse brought _Ship_ in and let it hover over the ground. Ethan grabbed hold of the hatch and swung himself up. Mouse waited several nanoseconds for Ray to catch up. Seeing him weaving sluggishly toward her, she frowned and tapped her foot impatiently against the console.

Ray could hear the transports gaining behind them. He waved his hands at Mouse and screamed, "Go, I'll catch up! Go!" She understood, and quickly lifted _Ship_ up, closing the hatch as she did so. Ray `booted into his websuit and crouched low on his Baud for speed, following Mouse's retreating ship. He could barely move for the pain; Ethan must have put some . . . something in that spike. . . . His thoughts were already dimming. Up ahead, he saw a portal open in the sky. Ray strained to fly up toward it, but his strength was fading fast.

"Come on," Mouse muttered. "Ray, what is going on?" She looked from the slow-moving surfboard to the Guardian transports, and in a flash she knew that the Surfr wouldn't make it before he was recaptured. Her chest constricted painfully, and her hands twitched over the controls, about to turn back and rescue Ray. She brought _Ship_ to hover anxiously at the edge of the portal. Ray was crawling toward her. "Come on, come on!" she pleaded, knowing in the back of her mind that he couldn't hear her.

Ray's knees buckled, and his unconscious body shimmered back into his Baud as it wove back and forth uncertainly. Mouse's knuckles whitened as she gripped the controls and watched helplessly. "Ray —"

Ray's Baud twisted back and forth, until it bucked once and took a steep dive.

"NO!" Mouse screamed. One of the transports caught the Baud, and they continued toward her and Ethan in _Ship_. All the guns were pointed at the runaway prisoners.

Ethan grabbed her hand. "Mouse, get us out of here!" he shouted, breaking through her grief.

She numbly turned the controls, guiding _Ship_ back through the portal. Ethan slapped a button, and the portal closed behind them, encasing the Guardians in their own system.

Mouse slumped into her chair in shock and a sudden exhaustion. She used to thrill for near-deletion experiences, but the sudden loss of Ray had carved an emptiness into her core-com. Ethan was congratulating her and talking about where they were going, but she didn't listen.

"Bad little Surfr," a Guardian chortled as he and his companion carried the unconscious sprite and his Baud back inside the compound. "Trying to escape, eh?" and he laughed again.

"We need to get the hacker," another Guardian reminded the first. "She's part of the Mainframe movement."

"So is this one," the first Guardian replied, smacking Ray's head. "Plus, Our Lady Daemon could use a Web Surfr to get around the Web better. This one's going to the Supercomputer."

Dumping Ray unceremoniously onto a cot, they bound his hands and feet again. He moaned and turned his head, but he didn't wake.

The second Guardian contacted two others who manned a ship outside. One of them entered the compound, took the Surfr's prone body, and loaded him into the transport. The Guardian jumped back into the ship, and they flew away, headed for Daemon's base.

"This system has beautiful sunsets," AndrAIa admitted, leaning her head on Matrix's shoulder. Three seconds into their stay at Azrael, Avina had accepted these sprites as her protectors, and she continued to rule her system, though now fearing for her life.

Countess Avina smiled. "Thank you. It is a lovely place." She, her bodyguard, and the three mercenaries and three Mainframers all sat on top of Azrael's Principle Office. The entire system stretched out on all sides of them, tinted gold, pink, and blue by the setting sun. Avina wore a casual sky-blue dress, her hair curled around her shoulders. Ferias sat beside her, her knees drawn up to her chest. The fading light was caught in her crystalline hair and reflected a kaleidoscope of colors.

The Countess picked at the elaborate thread design on the hem of her dress. "This super-virus — is she powerful?"

"Yes," Bob answered grimly, and Avina shivered.

"I will be all right, won't I?" she asked, displaying an uncertainty that her subjects had never seen in her but was true to every sprite's nature.

This time it was AndrAIa who replied, "We will protect you from Daemon, Your Grace. You will be safe."

A bald Guardian with orange skin stood facing a VidWindow. There was no image, but the Guardian knew he was facing his mistress.

"My Lady Daemon," the Guardian said. "We have spotted system Azrael. It is just as you have said; it is ruled by a young sprite who will make a perfect host."

"Good," the voice of Daemon said — female, yet so many voices at once, old and young. "Attack."


	16. 8: Ambush, or Friendly Fire

CHAPTER EIGHT

AMBUSH / FRIENDLY FIRE

Hexadecimal sat in her throne, admiring herself in her mirror. "Tessa, dear, I'd like you to come here for a moment," she called.

There was no answer for almost a millisecond. Hex's eyes narrowed, and she called again, "Tessali?"

She heard the sound of scuffling feet, but no one came into sight. "What is wrong, child?" Hexadecimal asked, partly exasperated, partly worried.

A small, unfamiliar figure stepped forward, her long hair swishing softly, and Hexadecimal jerked back with a gasp. "Who are you? What have you done to — Tessali?"

She almost didn't believe that it was her charge, until the child spoke in Tessa's clear voice. "Hex, what else can Daemon's Children do?"

Ethan Hertz spoke into the communications system to the leader of the system they had entered. "Yes, we're harmless. You can check the ship if you want." After the Command.com had consulted with the flight crew that hovered on both sides of _Ship_, Ethan finally received permission to land.

Once they were safely docked, Ethan turned to the silent figure hunched in the co-pilot's seat. "We're here, Mouse."

Her brown eyes were distant, but she heard his words. Her gaze still unfocused, she asked in a dull voice, "Where are we?"

"This system is called Chidis," Ethan explained. "It's isolated, so they shouldn't know about Daemon or the Guardians. We can hide here until we figure out where to go." When Mouse still didn't answer, he sighed. "Come on," he urged, pulling Mouse by the arm. She withdrew sharply, but after a moment she sighed as well and slowly rose from the chair.

Mouse was silent as she and Ethan entered Chidis' Principle Office to announce their arrival into the system. Chidis seemed rather primitive compared to the Supercomputer, or even Mainframe. Its buildings were tall and skinny, built close together like a group of dominoes stacked side by side. Indeed, each building seemed to lean against the other, as if supported by the one beside it.

Ethan used some spare units to buy them lodging at a run-down hotel. Mouse barely took notice of the place as they climbed a steep staircase to their rooms.

Ethan unlocked the door, and Mouse pushed past him and disappeared into the bathroom. He heard the sound of a shower running, and he decided to let Mouse alone for the moment.

Mouse emerged fifteen milliseconds later, her wet hair plastered to her forehead and neck. She sat down across from Ethan, using a towel to dry her hair and letting her legs hang over the edge of the chair.

"What now?" Mouse asked, and her eyes were livelier than they had been a micro ago. It seemed that her code had fled from her body when Ray was captured. Now Mouse had pushed aside the grief and was focusing on the task at hand.

Ethan smiled warmly and clasped her hand. Mouse didn't return the smile, but she didn't look so worn out. She pulled her hand out of his and continued to dry her hair.

Ethan leaned back in his chair and clasped his hands in his lap. "What were you doing that brought you to Freenet?" he asked.

Mouse explained that she and Ray had been jumping from system to system looking for something — she refused to say what — neglecting to tell Ethan the entire truth.

"I know about the Mainframe movement to stop Daemon," he cut in when she hadn't explained anything useful. "Do you want to return to your system?"

Mouse considered as she kneaded the rough towel between her hands. "We should rescue Ray. Would he still be in that compound? Or would the Guardians have taken him someplace else?"

Ethan's jaw clenched, but it was barely noticeable. He had freed Mouse so she could be safe from Daemon, not so she would walk into the super-virus' traps! Even as he processed that thought, the veins around his forehead and his icon clamped down, suppressing his rebellious intentions. He was forced to always follow Daemon. There was no way around it. 

Ethan swallowed and said, "They've probably taken him to the Supercomputer. Daemon is usually there, and she may want to infect your friend." It was the complete truth, after all. Ethan's throat ached as he fought to say that they shouldn't go, that if they did, Daemon would surely capture Mouse, and then Ethan's former love would be gone forever.

"Then we'll go there," Mouse said, and Ethan's whole being rebelled. He suddenly began to cough violently and lurched forward, as Daemon tightened her iron grip on his will.

Ethan straightened up, knowing he couldn't win against Daemon. "All right," he agreed crisply, knowing with cold dread that Daemon had been listening to the entire conversation and was preparing for them.

"Tessali," Hexadecimal said again, her voice soft and gentle and filled with awe. She reached out her arms to embrace the small child. Tessa's body relaxed with relief, and she burrowed into Hex's arms.

As she stroked the girl's hair — long, flowing maroon hair where the child had been bald just some time before! — Hexadecimal marveled at whatever gift the User had bestowed on Tessali to change her appearance so drastically. "The duckling has grown into a lovely swan," she whispered to her charge.

Tessa slowly raised her head, her eyes wide. "You're not . . . angry?" she asked in a tiny voice.

"Angry? Never!" Hexadecimal replied. "Well, maybe at those sprites or my brother . . . but never with you, my baby. Why, I love that this has happened. It's so unexpected, yet amusing. User knows I love disorder!" She cackled gleefully. 

Once her laughter had stopped, however, she leaned forward and studied Tessa intently. "Yet, I don't know why this has happened," she mused, tapping one long finger against her chin.

"I do. I know everything," Tessa replied in a whisper.

Once out of the sight of her fellow nobles, Avina yawned and tried to work the kinks out of her back.

"Man, a meeting can really wear you out," she muttered to nobody as she raised her arms over her head and stretched. She saw Bob smile, and Avina dropped her arms.

"You try managing your own system and four others, when those guys" — she jerked her thumb at the conference room she had just left — "don't do squat. Plus, I've got so much other stuff on my mind." No one else knew of the Daemon threat, and the Countess didn't even speak of it directly, even with her "mercenaries."

Following their nightly ritual for the last few cycles they had been in Azrael, the Mainframers and The Net's Own trailed behind Avina as she climbed up the stairs to her room. She and Ferias entered her chamber — Ferias' own room was adjacent to Avina's — and turned back to her protectors.

"You know, I really can take care of myself," she told them. She heaved a sigh. "But, being the graceful and courteous leader that I am, I acknowledge that your protection is valuable. Happy?" she asked, and Eide actually smiled.

"Thank you for another second of safety, and good night." The Countess grinned. "You know, I think this whole protection thing is working out. Two cycles, and nobody's tried to delete me yet."

"Don't get cocky, Your Grace," Axis reminded her.

Avina waved his words away and shut her door. Once the activity inside Avina's room had ceased and she was in her bed, Bob made a portal that took the six sprites to their apartments in Sector 6. Bob said good night to his companions and watched them all enter their separate rooms. Matrix and AndrAIa went into their own room together.

Like the eyes of a huge beast, the light in the windows in Azrael's P.O. winked out, one by one. Activity slowly ceased to a slow murmur of movement as the system's hard-working peacekeepers shut down their stations for the night.

A young ruler drifted off into peaceful slumber, the weight of responsibility over her people momentarily lifted from her shoulders.

A renegade and a game sprite lay wrapped in each other's arms, kissing and whispering sleepily.

Mercenaries settled in their rooms, each falling asleep at different times. One's quick mind dreamed of Daemon's zombie-like creatures; another cleaned her blaster, humming quietly to herself; and the third cursed the Guardians, even those he currently worked with.

And one of those Guardians reclined on the sofa in his room, unable to find rest. Bob turned his head toward the wall clock and studied the luminous green numbers; it was 2200, but he wasn't the least bit tired.

Apprehension was part of what kept him up; he had been more alert than normal since they had started their job of protecting the Countess. The truth was, however, that Bob missed Dot, back in Mainframe. With the present danger, time away from the woman he loved seemed harder to bear with each passing second.

Bob sighed and twisted around on the small couch, trying to find a comfortable way to sit. Lying on his back with his head on the floor didn't help ease his anxiety, so he slowly pushed himself back up into a sitting position.

Bob leaned forward and rested his head on his hands as he stared at the inanimate television squatting like a dull, gray, bulky thing in front of him. He was even missing Mike's company, in this unfamiliar system!

__

That's it, Bob thought with a rueful shake of his head. _I'm too tired to process sensible thoughts anymore._ Standing up from the couch, he went into his bedroom and shut the door behind him.

Less than two microseconds after Bob finally fell asleep, there was activity at Azrael's borders. Several large, dark transports hovered at the edges of the huge system. Soundlessly and without drawing attention to themselves, the transports slipped through the portal that separated Azrael from the rest of the Net.

Each transport held a small army. Two sprites were at the controls, while another stood before the front window. In the lead ship was a tall, broad-shouldered sprite with shaggy black hair. He watched silently through a VidWindow as they flew over Azrael, keeping high in the pitch-black sky so as not to be detected.

"Sir," one of the pilots called, "all our ships have entered the system successfully and without notice."

The sprite in charge turned back to his fellows. His skin was a dark teal color, but his face had been cut and blasted many times since he had been infected. The scars that crisscrossed over his face had made him unrecognizable to anyone who had known Eric Acos, probably even his own wife and two children.

"Good," he said with a curt nod. His voice was low but not very deep; he was rather young, after all. In his hands he held a white helmet that matched his uniform. He pulled the helmet on over his head and secured it under his chin. Once suited up, he nodded to his pilots. One kicked the ship into a descent while the other sent a signal to their fellow ships alerting them of the next step in the plan.

The three transports, each large enough to hold fifty fighters, drifted over the city at an almost leisurely pace. They passed over cramped apartment buildings and spacious mansions, where the system's citizens — young and old, male and female — slept, oblivious to their enemies hovering above them like a serpent waiting for the perfect moment to strike.

It was exactly midnight; most businesses were in downtime, their doors locked and their windows tightly closed. One or two citizens lingered on the street, but there was no other activity.

Azrael's Principle Office loomed up ahead. Each of its eight apexes pointed toward one of the system's sectors. The blue-gray metal shimmered slightly in the small light the lead transport gave off to guide its way.

Azrael, being a high-class system, had guards patrolling its P.O. night and day; the added protection had become even more welcome since Countess Avina first learned about Daemon's threat. As the first transport appeared above the star-shaped Principle Office, the night guard caught sight of it.

The night guard, which was a group of well-trained sprites and binomes, looked up in awe and growing fear as the huge transports filled the sky. Their eyes widened, and their hands went for their communicators — too slowly. The transport that hovered over them turned its guns toward the Azraelians and, without a moment's hesitation, spit out a rapid-fire succession of lasers. The blasts struck the guards and sent them flying sixty feet back. Some were deleted in mid-air, their forms becoming nothing more than a storm of swirling white light; others hit the ground with groans, energy bleeding from deep wounds, some mortal, others just enough to keep them down.

With no other threats to oppose them, the ships went on their way. They floated over the huge roof of the Principle Office, searching for a proper spot to land. As the enemy transports settled down on the smooth metal roof, each spaced apart from the next, another squad of the night patrol rushed up the stairs to the roof.

Armored sprites were already disembarking from the first ship. They were indistinguishable from one another; all wore white armor and helmets that covered their faces to the chin, leaving only a certain colored neck — the only thing that was different was their skin color -- that was gripped by glowing veins.

The new squad of guards hurriedly swept a searchlight over the first transport's hull. On the weathered side of the ship was the faded but unmistakable gold-and-black Guardian icon.

One Azraelian guard near the front of the line, seeing the insignia, slapped a hand over his mouth to keep from crying out. His core-com beating as rapidly as a jackhammer in his small chest, he slammed his fist down on the "panic" button embedded in the wall. Alarms rang out on the rooftop and through the Principle Office, and bright blue and red lights snapped on, momentarily blinding the enemies.

A Guardian leaning out of the side of another transport saw the Azraelian and aimed his weapon at the binome. The guard bravely stood his ground, continuing to pound the button as his body trembled with fear.

A blast of energy caught him in the chest. Now the guard screamed in fear and pain, but in a moment he disappeared in a wash of white sparkles. His fellow sprites and binomes quickly retreated behind a bunker as laserfire rained down on them.

The one guard had done his part to protect system Azrael. Though his life had been sacrificed, the rest of the system had been alerted to the oncoming ambush.

The alarms chimed steadily; not the loud blaring that caused panic, but a slow, calm warning of intruders in the system.

Countess Misoun rolled out of her bed when the alarms went off. Quietly, she moved around the room, gathering what she would need, Ferias right behind her. The Countess turned her icon and rebooted into a sleeveless top and shorts. She opened a hidden door in the wall and took out two small but dangerous blasters, which she strapped to holsters, one on each hip. She gathered her hair up in a simple ponytail.

She looked over to Ferias, who had pulled out a large gun that she strapped on next to her deadly blaster, and they exchanged quick smiles. "I'm ready," Avina whispered. They pulled on dark coats and headed for the Principle Office.

In the apartments, the alarms woke Matrix and AndrAIa first. They readied themselves silently in the darkness, then they went to the room next to theirs. The door opened before they could reach it, and Bob stepped out, also ready. He flashed them a grim smile and pressed his hands together. Golden light illuminated the hall, and a small portal formed. The three sprites stepped through it to the Principle Office.

They entered an underground room and found the three mercenaries and several troops of the Azrael guard already there. It was only one or two milliseconds later that the Countess' three guards, Avina, and Ferias entered as well.

Bob's eyes widened when he saw the usually regal Countess come in wearing battle clothes. "Whoa," he whispered, "she wasn't kidding when she said she could take care of herself."

Avina allowed herself a small smile at the Guardian's humor before she started with brisk instructions.

"Guardians have entered the system. They are somewhere above us right now. As we speak, guards are being set up around the outside of the Principle Office and the sectors, to protect the citizens. But we think the Guardians are going to strike the P.O., so we need teams in there to fight." She looked out over the group, and her eyes rested on the sprites from Mainframe. "I want all of you there, but in different points. If we can have each of you — let's see," she interrupted herself to count, "Bob, Matrix, AndrAIa, Eide, Dram, Axis. Can I count on you six and our guards to defend the Principle Office?"

The all nodded, resolve bright in their eyes.

Everyone bent over a table in the center of the room. Avina placed her hand over a circle built into the table, and a map with a bird's-eye-view of the system appeared.

"The outer forces are being set up in three blocks around the Principle Office." She touched three spots, indicating the positions. "The roadway towards the southern point of the Principle Office is being filled with four triple-rows of guards, if the Guardians come down for hand-to-hand combat. We also have troops positioned around the sides and backs of shops along the roadway, for a small surprise attack."

She put her hand over the eight-pointed star Principle Office. "Now, in the center of the system — we need to defend the four main points: here, here, here, and here." Her fingers followed her instructions, as she pointed at each section. "We need two guards in each point, and then you all" — she looked up at the mercenaries and the Mainframers — "with them. 

"In the northern point we'll have the guards. The night shift is already there, so you all will defend that point."

The two guards nodded at their Countess. "Net protect you, Your Grace," they murmured.

"Net protect you," she replied, and they started for the upper levels.

Avina went on, "In the western point, we need Bob and Matrix."

They exchanged blessings with the Countess. Matrix took a moment to put his arms around AndrAIa and kiss her fiercely. "I love you," he whispered.

She kissed him back. "I love you too." They stared into one another's eyes for another nano; then Matrix turned and hurried out the door.

Watching the young couple, Bob felt a pang of sorrow for Dot. But that couldn't be helped right now. He clasped AndrAIa's hand and whispered, "Good luck." She smiled at him, then he left the same way as Matrix, with the guards accompanying him. AndrAIa turned back to the Countess, still bent over the map.

"We need guards in the southern point, as well as Axis, Dram, and Eide," she instructed. The mercenaries and the guards left quietly.

Only a handful of sprites were left. Avina traced her finger over the eastern point on the map. "AndrAIa, we need you there."

The game sprite nodded and said, "Net protect you, Countess."

"And you," the young woman returned gravely. She watched as the last three left. She turned to her entourage: her three most trusted guards and her shadow. "Are we ready?"

"Hopefully," her first guard answered.

Avina gave a small laugh, then they started upstairs. She murmured a small prayer to the User. "Net protect us all."

Eide looked around. "Hey, where's Freeware?"

"He appears to have separated from us," Axis observed. "Perhaps to reach another section, and defend that point."

"Smart sprite," Eide murmured. Her eyes flicked around in the darkness as she tapped her fingers against her gun.

Axis watched her, wishing she wouldn't do that. He could be as calculating as she — past experience had proved that — but the thought of shooting someone made him uneasy. Axis glanced away and focused on the dark corridors that stretched away from them, mentally devising which way they should go.

He cleared his throat in the silence. "Well, we should stay together —" Axis began. He looked behind him to find no one there. Eide had quietly slipped away.

Axis scanned the surrounding hallways for his comrade as he chuckled shakily. "Just pixelacious. . . ."

The beast was awakening.

Already, the entire Principle Office had been alerted to the not-so-very-far-away force that threatened them. Rooms that had been dark for the last few microseconds were now filled with light and the dim shapes of binomes and sprites hurrying along to stop the Guardians' forces.

Because Azrael was the home of a Countess (formerly a Count), the inhabitants had experienced attacks on their leader's life, and they knew exactly how to react to an emergency situation. CPUs were stationed in bunkers at every sector, each with a communications link to the Principle Office and a supply of weapons. As alarms rang out through the P.O. and each sector's bunker, Azrael's fighting force quickly and quietly strapped guns to their backs and sides and filed out of the nondescript blue-gray structure.

The Azraelian police rushed into their transports (also called CPUs) and powered them up. The ground seemed to open, and ten transports flew out of each one. Two CPUs remained on the ground to direct the vehicles in the correct direction. As the tenth CPU crested over the heads of the CPUs on the ground, a rope ladder dropped from an open hatch. The two guards grabbed on and quickly climbed into the transport before it closed its hatch and flew for the Principle Office. The doors to the bunker shut with a metallic _clang_, and the building blended into the darkness, looking like nothing more than an abandoned warehouse.

There were ten transports in each of the eight sectors, making eighty transports in all. Some of the transports flew towards the Principle Office, but most of the CPUs remained in their assigned sectors, to protect Azrael's citizens. As the Principle Office already had its own platoon of CPUs, not to mention the night shift, a small group of transports was dispatched to the P.O. to combine their services with the guards already present. The rest of the transports hovered at the fringes of their own sectors, adrenaline pumping through their energy. They waited for the fight to come to them — if it ever would — while the sprites and binomes they were sworn to protect lay defenseless in their beds. 

The _whir_ of mechanics from the transports as they whooshed by houses didn't go unnoticed. A grizzled binome, his back crooked with age, was jolted awake by the noise of preparations. He wrapped a robe around himself and slowly switched on the lights. When he saw a gray shape at his window, he rushed forward to see what was going on. In the near-darkness, it was difficult to see anything, but the binome squinted his eyes and peered outside. When he saw the CPUs converging in his sector and still others rushing toward the Principle Office, he gasped in horror. His body began to tremble, but he couldn't tear his eyes away from the grim scene that unfolded before him.

The old binome wasn't the only one to see what was going on. Azraelians of all kinds jumped out of bed or off the couch when they heard the pounding of boots on pavement and the shouted commands of one CPU chief to another. Lights were snapped on in homes, and faces filled with anxiety and growing fear popped out of windows. 

The chief of one platoon of CPUs noticed the people sticking their heads out of their windows and growled under his breath. In this situation, he and his fellow officers needed the citizens to remain in their homes and be as little of a distraction as possible. Shouldering his gun, he broke away from the line of CPUs and hurried back to the first line of houses; these buildings were already illuminated with light.

When he reached the first house, the sprite saw up close the terror on the faces of the binome family: the mother, the father, and the little baby girl. The two adults gasped and pointed at something over the CPU's shoulder, and he turned to look with them.

The Guardian transports were what had prompted the gasps from the binomes. The huge, bulky, black vehicles had latched on to the roof of the Principle Office like fat ticks on skin. Red and blue lights danced on the roof of the P.O.; joined with the laserfire, they momentarily illuminated the scene of CPUs fighting Guardians.

Doors began to open on the street, and citizens in their bathrobes rushed outside of their own accord, morbidly fascinated by the impending danger of the Guardians' attack.

The CPU chief hurried toward a young sprite woman with curlers in her hair. "Ma'am, please get inside," he ordered softly but firmly, placing a hand on her arm.

The young woman's lips trembled. "What's going on?" she whimpered, even as she let the chief push her back inside her house. "What's going to happen?"

"I can't answer that for sure, ma'am," the CPU replied. "Just stay inside, and you'll be safe. I can promise you that much." The woman swallowed thickly and covered her face with her hands.

The CPU turned away, but other sprites and binomes were coming out of their homes. He swore quietly and tried to usher them, one by one, back inside. But as he forced one family into their house, more appeared on the street, staring wide-eyed at the Principle Office. The chief knew he couldn't get them all back inside alone, and no one could afford the distraction these basic people were sure to cause.

The CPU chief jogged back to one of the grounded transports and sent a message to the CPUs already assembled in the Principle Office. The CPU commander there received his message and in turn sent out an emergency Vid Window to every home.

Azraelians were startled out of their slowly fraying wits when a huge Vid Window popped open in each home, displaying the face of the P.O.'s CPU commander.

"Azrael has been invaded by infected Guardians," the CPU commander began. A mother screamed before she could stop herself and clutched her baby close to her. "I repeat, infected Guardians are in the system. Stay in your homes while we fight them off, and do not attempt to leave. Keep your loved ones close; do not venture outside. I repeat, _do not go out_. Stay inside." 

The message repeated two more times before a new one appeared. Now the CPU who had spoken said, "Keep this window open for further instructions concerning evacuation, if it comes to that. User bless us all," he added as an afterthought; then the Vid Window went as black as the sky outside.

The message did the trick: the citizens who had previously stood dumbstruck outside ran into their homes and embraced family members; at least one member of every house was awake now. Mothers and fathers comforted their children, allowing only one another to see their terror.

Families and friends held each other tightly, afraid that this might be their last night processing. They spoke in hushed whispers or they didn't speak at all, afraid that any sound could lead the Guardians to them.

Some binomes and sprites stole away to their cellars, hoping for extra protection should any transports come their way with guns and missiles. They curled up in silence with their ragged breaths as the only sound. The fear would eat them alive — if the Guardians didn't massacre them first.

While their comrades fought above and outside the Principle Office's walls, several groups of Guardians hurried stealthily through the halls of the star-shaped building. No one spoke as they marched through the unfamiliar structure; there was no need to; Daemon sent them the same commands, to be carried out. 

When they arrived at a crossroads, with two corridors branching off into separate points in the P.O., they split into two groups. The groups would each cover one of the four main point of the Principle Office; then those same groups would circle and search through the remaining points. 

Half of the original group headed toward the eastern point, their footsteps ringing off the metal walls. As they rounded the corner, they were met with a sight they certainly hadn't been expecting: a group of wide-awake guards and one very annoyed Game sprite.

"Hello, boys," AndrAIa purred. Her trident snapped to full-length with a sharp _click_. She twirled the hilt between her fingers with a careless air, but her smile was nothing less than menacing.

The Guardians froze in their tracks. By all accounts, the citizens of Azrael should be asleep in their beds, knowing nothing of the impending danger; there should be no one to stop them. They hesitated for a nanosecond, their unliving minds struggling to process the option.

An unseen force rippled through the group like the crack of a whip, jolting them back to awareness. They surged forward as one being, blasters drawn and ready.

AndrAIa and the CPUs stood their ground, tensed and waiting. The sprites and binomes of Azrael's armies gripped their guns and traded nervous glances with their neighbors.

"Hit them anywhere and everywhere," AndrAIa had forewarned the CPUs, her voice low and her expression grim. "Do anything you have to drive them down. These sprites were deleted a long time ago."

A Guardian with skin the color of AndrAIa's hair charged at the game sprite, his fist already pulled back to punch her unprotected stomach. She dodged the hit, but she wasn't able to evade the high kick he sent at her. Her head snapped back, and she fell back several steps, gasping for air. The teal-skinned Guardian advanced.

Crouching low to the ground, AndrAIa gritted her teeth against the queasiness from her opponent's blow and readied herself. She gripped her trident firmly and, when the Guardian neared her, she struck the sharp tip of her weapon directly in his groin. The Guardian howled and lurched backwards, falling off-balance into the wall. More took his place, however, and AndrAIa was too busy with fighting to see what had become of her opponent.

One of the Azraelian sprites dodged the shot a Guardian sent his way. He swung his gun up, searching for a weak spot, or somewhere that was unprotected. Every CPU had learned in the cycles before this night that the Guardians took many blows before they were deleted, and not easy foes. Finally, he shot at the back of the Guardian's head.

The Guardian stumbled and crashed into another. The shot had blown his helmet off, and there was a hole in his neck that gushed energy. A tall sprite from Azrael's guard approached the Guardian and roughly twisted his head to the side. The Guardian made a wet choking noise and slumped to the ground. He didn't get up again.

AndrAIa caught her breath. Her mind raced, and she struggled recall what had happened with the two infected Guardians who had tried to kidnap Tessa: Matrix had shot both in the forehead, and they had still been able to process. But the CPUs had just shot this Guardian and snapped his neck, and he was out of the fighting for good.

AndrAIa was no physician, but she knew from her experiences with fighting that if a sprite's neck were broken — regardless of whatever was keeping the sprite processing — the body would be unable to work. Perhaps, if they could injure the Guardians' bodies to the point of not being able to process, Daemon would have no hosts to fill with her Infection.

Another Guardian took advantage of her hesitation to launch himself at AndrAIa. She set to fighting him off as she scrutinized him. The Guardian wore white and purple armor – it wasn't very heavy, because the Guardians could endure more serious injuries than average sprites – and a helmet that covered his head to the chin. Every inch of his skin was covered, except for the vein-covered area of his neck.

Inspiration struck AndrAIa like a blessing from the User. "Go for the necks – it's their weak spot!" she called to the CPUs. "The neck!" As if to prove her point, she swiftly changed her trident to a spear and drove the razor-sharp point into the neck of the Guardian she currently fought with.

Turning her head away from the heavy scent of energy, AndrAIa narrowed her eyes and shoved her spear deeper, until the point reached what she hoped was the Guardian's spine. She ripped her spear to the side roughly, jerking the Guardian's head with it. As she had hoped, his neck snapped, and whatever life had filled his body fled. AndrAIa dragged her spear out of the Guardian's prone body.

All around her, binomes and sprites were following her reasoning. They had better luck with their blasters, able to score a cleaner shot on the necks of their opponents than with a bulky spear. Hitting the unprotected necks caused the Guardians to falter in their steps. The CPUs took advantage of the weakness to force the Guardians to the ground, where they performed the same gruesome deletion AndrAIa had demonstrated.

Soon, the bodies of ten Guardians littered the floor of the eastern apex of the Principle Office. However, there were many more Guardians still on their feet; some clutched their necks to stop the gushing of energy, and others were as yet unharmed.

AndrAIa's foot slipped in a puddle of energy, but she caught herself before falling. She brushed hair out of her eyes with one dirty hand and glared at the enemies. _Bring it on, I'm ready,_ she thought.

And they did. The Guardians fought without tiring; the only time they faltered was when hit in the necks and swiftly brought down by the Azraelians. AndrAIa's breath burned in her chest and throat, but she forced herself to concentrate on the one Guardian in front of her. Her keen ears could pick up the screams and grunts of fighting all around her. Their contingent wasn't without casualties, either; the bodies of several binomes and one or two sprites lay lifeless on the energy-smeared ground.

AndrAIa gave a cry of rage and rushed forward, stabbing the Guardian opposite her with her spear-point; she fought the teal-skinned one she had encountered before. He dodged her thrusts and tried to bring his gun up for a clear shot. AndrAIa kicked the gun out of his hands and slammed him against the wall, impaling his throat. He cursed her and coughed, bright energy dribbling down his chin. He spit the stuff in her face, but AndrAIa turned her head. The Guardian's energy struck her hair, and AndrAIa quickly became aware of a burning sensation around her scalp. The acrid smell of burning hair brushed at her nostrils, and she shook her head to the side. _Of course they would have energy like acid,_ she thought. _They're not living, so their bodies can't be filled with sprite-energy._

AndrAIa yanked the spear out of his body, firmly telling herself that she could clean her weapon and vomit when the fight was over. She spun around, panting, ready for the next attack.

The Guardians were retreating. Now their numbers were whittled down to fifteen, half of what they had been before. They limped away, stopping to grab guns from their fallen comrades.

"Follow them!" AndrAIa tried to shout, but her throat was raw. She coughed and yelled, "Don't let them get away!"

The Guardians retreated quickly, and several uninjured CPUs hurried after them. One Guardian shot two quick shots at the ceiling above the Azraelians and AndrAIa; then he quickly backspaced out of the narrow corridor.

The plaster cracked, and a small sprinkling of dust began to rain down on the binomes.

"It's going to fall!" AndrAIa screamed, bringing her spear over her head reflexively. She jumped out of the way as the ceiling caved in with a loud groan, and chunks of plaster crushed the binomes.

AndrAIa stumbled away, clutching her hand over her mouth. Another gunshot rang out over her head, striking the ceiling at a part where a wedge had already been pried loose.

AndrAIa spun around, but just as she caught sight of the Guardian racing away, a huge chunk crashed down on her head. She pitched forward with a cry that abruptly cut off, and she fell to the ground as limp as a doll.

__

Weapons — check. Everyone in position — check. Bob sighed as, for the fifteenth time, he mentally ran over the preparations they had made for the Guardians. _Enemies — not here yet._

Was that what was bothering him so much? True, Bob didn't exactly have the kind of experience one gets from hours of fighting. He had dealt with his share of bullies, minor skirmishes really, and who-knows-how-many Users. 

Yet, with the latter, which he had spent much of his life learning to win over, it had always been a strategy. He had trained and been trained to anticipate the User's next move and jump three steps in front of him.

Megabyte had also required a certain amount of thinking and planning, since he was more intelligent than the average User, not to mention stronger. Hex couldn't really count; she was so chaotic it was nearly impossible to anticipate the next random thing she would do.

__

Is this what Daemon was like? Bob wondered. _Does she plan for minutes — or hours — for an attack like this . . . or does she go for brute force? With the Guardians, User knows she has enough power._

Bob found himself wishing for just a little better understanding of viruses. Matrix and AndrAIa probably knew enough about viruses from the Games to be able to think ahead about Daemon. Of course, knowing the burly renegade, Matrix was probably itching to attack. Then again, Bob didn't really enjoy being a sitting duck, either.

Bob blew out a huge breath of air and licked his lips. Something about the coming ambush nagged at him, a feeling of unease and uncertainty he couldn't explain. He mentally pushed the nervousness to the edge of his brain and ordered himself to stop double-checking everything. Expelling another breath of air, he steeled himself and kept walking.

Just as Bob had started to feel calm, he heard the footsteps. First two, then four, six, eight, ten; what started as a handful of Guardians quickly became double that number, then double that, their less-than-quiet footfalls echoing off the cold metal walls. Soon a whole army was stampeding down the halls.

Bob ducked halfway under a crate and braced himself. _This is what I wanted,_ he reminded himself grimly as he watched the doorway several hundred feet ahead of him. A seven-foot rectangle of light shone through the doorway, but soon the light was blotted out by many armored figures. They streamed through, but to Bob's relief only a small portion of the original group he had heard came his way. It was actually a smart move, he realized. The Guardians split into several groups so they could have fighters in each section of the Principle Office.

Bob strained his ears, trying to decipher if another group had headed for Matrix's section in the same point. He couldn't concentrate for long, however; already his group was approaching the spot where he was partly hidden.

Bob sprang up and held up his hands, palms forward. The dim light glinted on his armor and his hair, and the Guardians paused and stared hard at him. Their faces were hidden under identical, nondescript white helmets.

"Please, we can be peaceful about this," Bob called out in the silence, his hands still outstretched. "If you surrender, I can get rid of Daemon's control. You could all be fr —"

One Guardian, tired of listening, shot at Bob. Fully expecting it, he dodged the laser. "I was afraid of this," he muttered, as golden light began to gather in his hands. He sent a gigantic wave of Glitch-energy spiraling for the Guardians. It hit the Guardians in the middle of the group and sent them all flying.

It was still surprising to Bob how fast the infected Guardians could recover, looking no less harmed for it. They whipped out their guns and shot rapid-fire bursts at him. Frantically bringing to mind his many hand-eye coordination classes, Bob used his keytool energy to deflect shots, hopefully back onto the Guardians. Some were knocked to the ground, but they jumped up just as quickly.

Bob had no choice but to advance, matching their lasers with golden bursts of energy. He succeeded in knocking the guns out of four Guardians' hands. Now, they came at him with fists and elbows. Bob gathered energy in his hands and released a huge globe. A Guardian collided with the globe and was sucked inside it. He kicked and snarled at the keytool energy surrounding him, but he couldn't break through it.

Bob thrust the globe aside and concentrated on making another. When the next Guardians advanced on him, he sent globes spinning their way. Bob kept creating the globes as fast as the Guardians ran at him. Soon, the entire corridor was filled with captive Guardians who flailed at their prisons.

Bob leaned heavily on his knees and drew several deep breaths. He had never used this much energy since he had bonded with his keytool. Now he began to understand what Glitch felt after being used in Game after Game without any power recharges.

Bob slowly straightened up and surveyed the hall ahead. There were no more Guardians. For now, his part was done.

Matrix treaded silently along his assigned corridor. It was all he could do to keep quiet. For all he knew, there were Guardians already inside the Principle Office. He couldn't sit around until a Guardian sneaked up and strangled him in the darkness. Matrix swallowed and quickly checked Gun's energy case; it was full.

His every nerve was on end, his senses attuned to pick up any sound or movement. His feet touched the ground lightly, soundlessly, and he breathed through his nose. His energy pounded in his temples, and Matrix grimaced as a dull pain throbbed in his head. He had no idea why he was getting a headache — and now, of all times, he couldn't afford a distraction.

He hated being restrained down here, forced to sit and _wait_ for the Guardians to come. Matrix wanted, more than anything, to race to the elevator and reach the upper levels. He would charge right at the Guardians, and he knew he could take them down with the element of surprise and sheer brute force.

But he had been ordered to stay down here. He hated following orders, especially from someone younger than he. But Bob had followed the order, and so had AndrAIa. So here he was, Gun in hand, much resembling a caged animal pacing the confines of its prison, eager to hunt.

__

And to kill. Matrix stopped short and blinked slowly. The thought had simply popped out of nowhere. It was rather distressing to be thinking thoughts like that when he was about to go into an unwanted battle.

__

But you always want it, don't you? a voice, the one that had just spoken, taunted. Matrix's muscles tensed at the icy arrogance that laced the dangerous voice. He took a deep breath and willed himself to stand still so he could focus on whoever was addressing him. Was he thinking this? It wasn't possible for anyone to be speaking with him, yet there was pure malice in the mysterious voice that Matrix knew he would never find in his own thoughts.

A moment later, the voice spoke again. _You _like_ to fight and delete your enemies. You get a sick enjoyment out of the adrenaline rush._

Something prickled across his skin, raising the hairs on his arms and on the back of his neck. Suddenly, a shiver raced across his massive frame, swiftly cutting him to the bone.

He doubled over, taking deep, trembling breaths. He slowly straightened, even more alert for danger. A flash darted across his field of vision. Matrix recalled the silvery specks of light he had sensed in the Roughnecks Game. That had been his Protector signaling his presence.

"Rasta Mon?" Matrix called out uncertainly, but his voice rang out hollowly and unnaturally loud in the hall.

But it wasn't Rasta Mon. The light flashed in his face again, but it was stronger. It seared through his closed eyelids, and Matrix knew someone — or something — was in front of him.

Matrix forced himself to open his eyes. When he gazed around the room through narrowed eyelids, there was no one. Another slash of pain struck him, and he doubled over again, clutching his chest.

Matrix fell to his knees. Even as he gritted his teeth and tried to stand up, his muscles tensed, and an invisible force pushed him back to the ground. He stared around wildly, his core-com hammering in his ears. He was filled with anxiety, confusion, unease —

__

Fear?

Matrix's eyes widened, and he dared not breathe. There was a presence in the room with him. Just the feeling of this other person made his skin crawl.

"Who — who's there?" he finally asked in a whisper. No one answered, and Matrix climbed to his feet, reflexively checking Gun.

__

You're afraid, aren't you?

The coy tone belonged to none other than Hexadecimal. The virus' amused cackling that followed filled Matrix's skull, and he shook his head from side to side in an attempt to clear it. Why was it that Hexadecimal always appeared in his hallucinations?

__

Easy, the voice from before — not Hexadecimal's, Matrix could easily tell — replied. _She's someone you resent and disagree with. It's clear that she's one of your enemies._

__

WE ALL ARE.

Matrix cried out at the unexpected intrusion in his mind. Suddenly, a multitude of voices -- whispers, slithers, growls, and clicks — invaded his processor, creating such a din that he couldn't focus on what a specific person was saying. Low, grating voices, and high, shrill voices that dug into his head, worming their way into his thoughts and interrupting his logic.

Faces swam into his vision, blurry forms sharpening into clear pictures. Matrix saw viruses of all kinds, the User in all of his forms, and even nasty sprites that had bullied him in the Twin City.

Hexadecimal's face danced across his sight, only to slowly dissipate. From the crowd of faces, their colors blending together into one picture, Megabyte's features jumped forth.

__

Remember me, Boy? the virus asked, his deep, rolling laugh echoing in Matrix's bones.

"You're — you're gone," Matrix protested through clenched teeth. "I got rid of you."

__

You fought me, and the hacker pushed me into a portal, but you never finished me off. Wasn't that what you were going to do? Why couldn't you delete me if you hate me so much? Matrix shook his head helplessly, unable to answer.

The crowd of faces pulled away, and Matrix felt as if a noose around his neck had been cut, allowing him air. He sprang up from the ground, taking deep, loud breaths.

The single voice, the one that had started this, rose again in his mind. Unlike the others, there was no face to accompany this coldhearted speaker. Something in the voice suggested femininity, however.

__

So many victims, the voice hissed, making Matrix flinch, _so many. How many viruses and sprites have you deleted?_

It was as if Matrix's skull had been split open, and his processor lay neatly unveiled for this stranger to read. He shook his head again, willing his mind to shield itself from this intrusive being.

__

You've been fighting viruses all your life, the voice said in a low purr. Moments passed before it — she? — added, _But you've never won._

"Aargh!" Matrix screamed. "Be quiet!" Burning hot rage surged through his body, and he lifted Gun and waved it around at the faces. His breath was raw in his throat, and his chest heaved. He could remember this feeling of helplessness and anger by being judged from only one time in his life: the dream of "Number One."

The voices pressed in on him again. Matrix shut his eyes against their cold words. His eyes snapped open, the cybernetic implant spinning madly. Matrix aimed Gun at the largest of the specters. With a cry of fury, he pulled the trigger. 

The gunshot reverberated like thunder through the still corridor, and Matrix thought, satisfied, that the voices wouldn't bother him again.

Bob heard a far-off click. It took his brain a moment to process what the deadly sound meant, and his head whipped around.

"NO!" he screamed, but it was too late. The bullet wrenched through his armor and slammed into his gut, the force of it driving him backward into the ground.

The illusion shattered, and Matrix stood disoriented for a moment. His arm dropped to his side, as if Gun weighed a ton, and he felt impossibly weary. Then, a low moaning reached his ears, full of pain. Matrix's pulse quickened; the voice was terrifyingly familiar.

Holstering Gun, Matrix ran straight down the corridor, where he thought he heard the sound. The moans became breathless gasps, and Matrix quickened his pace. When he saw Bob, it hit him in a rush. "No!" he cried, rushing forward.

The Guardian was sprawled on the ground, clutching his stomach. Dark blue-green energy streamed around his fingers, quickly darkening his skin. His pristine silver armor was twisted and blackened from the bullet that was buried in his stomach. Bob's eyes were squeezed tightly shut in pain, and small gasps escaped his mouth.

"No . . ." Matrix whispered again, ashamed at what he had inadvertently done. He began to back away, his mind overflowing with all of the information it was receiving.

Bob opened his eyes to see Matrix. "Enzo," he gasped, reaching out his other hand, also covered with his energy, "please — help me. . . ." But the hulking youth shook his head, as if arguing. With wide, scared eyes, he backed away and finally turned and ran down the hall.

"Enzo. . . ." the Guardian whispered in disbelief. 

__

You did this to me? 

But it was in vain. Bob fell back, out cold, as the energy leaking from his stomach gathered in a pool around his fallen body.

As Bob's energy was slowly drained from him, the globes of keytool energy that held the Guardians — Matrix had not even noticed them in his haste and confusion — flickered wildly. They solidified once, then shimmered uncertainly before popping out of existence. The Guardians all dropped to the ground with a series of bumps. 

Bob was nearly out; he didn't see what had happened. Without wasting time, the Guardians dusted themselves off, picked up their fallen weapons, and proceeded on to the next point in the Principle Office.


	17. Ambush, or Friendly Fire, PART 2

CHAPTER EIGHT

AMBUSH / FRIENDLY FIRE, PART TWO

Mouse hissed at the darkness, baring her fangs at the sharp doubts that plagued her mind. She hated the blackness of night; she hated the tiny, basic system they were holed up in; she hated Ray for not getting away sooner.

No. She could never hate Ray, not even for a millisecond. But she was scared for him; she was terrified that Daemon had deleted him, or worse, infected the Web Surfr. Mouse's processor agonizingly replayed those last milliseconds she had seen Ray. He and Ethan had been racing toward her as she lifted _Ship_ off the ground. Then, Ray had stumbled and fallen, his Baud scraping the ground as it clattered next to him. The Web Surfr had leapt up in the next instant and had been flying as fast as he could to her. But he had lost precious nanoseconds, and somehow — Mouse had mulled over it again and again, but she hadn't figured out why Ray had stumbled in the first place — he had lost energy and had collapsed. She had ached to turn _Ship _ around and hurry back to rescue Ray, but the Guardians were already on her tail. If she had turned back, she would have been deleted and unable to save Ray.

Either way, Ray was gone and Mouse was at square one once more.

Unable to keep up her brave pretense any longer, Mouse blinked back the salty tears that threatened to fall from her eyes. She curled her hands around her arms and shivered in the cool night air.

It was colder than a well-digger's ASCII in _Ship_, in the middle of the night in Chidis. And Mouse, like some random idiot, was feeding her insomnia by repeatedly checking the controls in her ship. 

Mouse leaned back and shut her eyes tightly, willing herself to focus. She knew in the back of her mind that _Ship _was fully functional; the one and only technician in the whole system had checked out the controls and replaced her power supply so her weapons system would work again. The thin, sallow-skinned sprite had informed Mouse that, besides a few minor scratches, _Ship_ was ready for them to get up and go.

That was exactly what Mouse wanted to do: leave this tiny, run-down system and go find Ray. She would do whatever it took to rescue Ray from Daemon, even if it meant flying to the Supercomputer to find him. The only problem was, Ethan was stalling. Mouse wasn't sure exactly why; but she knew that he didn't want to leave when Ethan would make up a reason for them to stay in Chidis for one more second. They had come to this small system to power up _Ship_ again and get going; they had spent almost a full cycle here.

A new question entered Mouse's weary processor: Did she trust Ethan? She quickly countered that yes, of course she trusted Ethan. Even though he bore the signs of Daemon's Infection, he had fought her control to free Mouse and Ray and take at least one of them away from Daemon's clutches. But his past behavior left her suspicious and tired of doubting the only sprite she could afford to trust.

Her emotions were a whirlwind of puzzlement, indignity, and anger. Confusion reigned supreme; for the first time in her life she didn't know what to do; she actually felt helpless, with Ray across the Net and not beside her. She sat in the hard leather pilot's chair in _Ship_; she wasn't lying on a squishy mattress under threadbare blankets, with her former lover hovering on the far edge of the one bed in their run-down motel room.

In the space of a few minutes, so much in Mouse's life had changed. She knew she would stay in Mainframe after the restart, and she had known that inevitably she would end up helping her friends to fight Daemon. But she never would have thought that one super-virus could control the Net so totally. Mouse had to admit, it was frightening when she remembered all the decimated systems she and Ray had visited, with little or no sprites who hadn't been infected or deleted.

On this journey through the Net, Mouse had learned more about destruction than she would ever have wanted to. Memories of her previous life and the new life she led had been dug up, triggered by the different sprites they had encountered. She had gained and lost friends; old and new lovers had been added to the mix. It was all getting to be too much.

Mouse forced her thoughts away from her own situation to ponder what had happened to her friends. She hadn't gotten a message from Dot in cycles; had something happened? Mouse dismissed her anxiousness, disgusted with herself; the paranoia of Daemon's invasion had reached even her, usually the calm one. Now, Mouse found herself worrying and thinking up countless "what ifs". She shoved aside those notions as well.

She hated nothing in the Net more than Daemon, Mouse decided. She resolved to track down that bitch of a super-virus and show her a world of pain for all the suffering she had delivered upon the rest of the Net.

But to find Daemon, she would have to haul her ASCII out of this two-bit system. Mouse growled and threw her hands up in surrender. Here she was, back where she had begun. She was going around in circles.

A faint sound reached her ears, causing Mouse to sit upright in her seat. Her head whipped around, her large eyes searching the darkness. Holding her breath, she carefully leaned her head out the window and surveyed the area outside _Ship_.

Footsteps crunched on gravel, and some breathless nanos later Ethan appeared from around the side of _Ship_. Mouse let out her breath, but a nano later she was alert again. What was Ethan doing outside at this time of night? Mouse settled back in her seat and listened for any more sound from her companion. His footfalls faded as he walked around _Ship_, but then they came again, louder than before, as Mouse heard the back hatch _whoosh_ open. Ethan entered _Ship_ and made his way down toward the pilot's seat, his black Guardian boots ringing out on the metal floor.

Mouse's back was to him; she spun around in her chair and jumped up. She curled her left hand into a fist and pointed the gold ring with her Mouse symbol straight at him. Ethan stopped short and stared at Mouse questioningly.

"Haven't you heard that it's impolite ta walk in on a lady without permission?" she asked, one flaming eyebrow raised in challenge.

Ethan had made sure that Mouse was asleep before he sneaked out of their motel room and down the rickety staircase. No one had been at the front desk to see him leave the motel and run outside into the freezing-cold night.

__

On their first second in Chidis, while Mouse brought Ship to the mechanic and consulted with him, Ethan searched around the system until he found a proper message station. There were hardly any people around; at least, as far as Ethan could see, the few sprites who lived here were holed up in their businesses.

Glancing around him to make sure no one was watching, Ethan punched in a foreign, untraceable address that no one in the Net could identify; it was used only in the Web. He drummed his fingers impatiently on the panel of the machine as the basic heap of metal took almost a millisecond to connect to the unusual recipient.

The moment the connection was secure, Daemon's burning eyes appeared on the screen. She was in a new host body, one that he didn't recognize, but he would know those eyes anywhere, in any time of his life; they haunted his dreams.

"Report." Her voice chilled him more than the night temperature in Chidis. Ethan had gotten this far, but he suddenly clamped his jaw shut, not wishing to tell Daemon about Mouse.

Bit by bit, the super-virus dragged the report out of him. When he had told her all she wanted to know, she smirked and said, "You know I was able to read your thoughts already, and we didn't have to go through that painful exercise." Her expression hardened. "But you have to learn, like my other slaves, that you cannot win against me. No matter what, you will bend to my control."

It was the inevitable truth, Ethan knew. He sighed miserably and stuffed his hands in his pockets. Mounting his zip-board, he flew quietly through the streets until he came upon the communications station. He quickly punched in the Web code that would connect him to Daemon, hating himself for each number and letter he pressed.

Daemon appeared on the screen, again in a host body. She was in her private chamber; behind her were those huge pods Ethan had glimpsed only once. Her hosts were suspended, one in each pod, like a Web creature's meal. He shuddered to think about it.

"Report," Daemon ordered tersely, her arms crossed over her chest.

"I'm stalling to keep Mouse in Chidis," Ethan said. "So far, it's been five seconds."

Daemon sighed and pursed her lips, looking like a normal sprite, as the woman whose body she now controlled had once been. "You both know I have the Web Surfr, and your companion will most likely want to come after him." Ethan could say nothing. "Bring Mouse to me; that way I can infect her, and she can be with her darling Ray Tracer."

Ethan's head jerked back as he again rebelled against Daemon's control. He gritted his teeth and fought to swallow past the lump that had lodged in his throat. Daemon watched his struggle with amusement and finally allowed him to speak by waving her hand; the lump disappeared, and Ethan gasped for air. "Please, Mistress, don't do that," he pleaded. "You can't do that." _User, I sound like a basic little child!_

"I know you have feelings for her," Daemon said, "but my only feeling is to infect her — or delete her."

"Either way, she'll be gone," Ethan said bitterly.

"That's my Infection," Daemon replied simply, and Ethan hated her viciously. 

He tried for another approach. "Maybe we can reach a compromise?" he suggested.

"A compromise?" Daemon scoffed incredulously. "Do you remember who holds control over your puny life, sprite?" To prove her point, the veins around Ethan's icon glowed brightly. "You're still processing," Daemon reminded him; "that's a hell of a lot better than most of my slaves."

"Hear me out," Ethan pleaded; when Daemon said nothing, he rushed on. "If I keep Mouse here, or — or take her someplace else, and she doesn't go after Ray, will you not harm her?"

"She'll return to Mainframe — or Azrael — and alert the others," Daemon said. "There is no way that I will allow that to happen. You will bring Mouse to me within two seconds. Understand?"

__

I hate every pixel of you, you horrible, despicable thing. You're a vile, disgusting creature. You stink of evil; you have no core-com, just a cold black hole. I hate you for everything you've done; to me, to my friends, to everyone I've ever cared about.

Naturally, Ethan couldn't voice these thoughts aloud. But he knew that Daemon could read and was reading his thoughts, and he smirked. Aloud, he said only, "Yes, Mistress Daemon."

The super-virus closed off the connection, and her image was replaced with a black screen. Ethan stared at himself in the reflection of the dusty screen. His hands, balled into fists, trembled, and he felt the urge to smash the glass of the communicator. He almost did, knowing that it would be a wonderful thing if Daemon were unable to contact him. But no, then she would curl her claws into his processor and weed out every bit of information she could. It would be a much more painful experience, so Ethan resigned himself to not venting his anger on the station. He turned away, feeling his core-com sink into his gut for more than one reason.

He had done all he could, but Mouse was going to be taken to Daemon — and by him, no less! Ethan trudged back towards the motel, tears threatening to fall from his eyes. _Mouse will get what she wanted, in a sense; she'll be going to Ray,_ was his only thought, grim and not very helpful.

As he approached the crumbling shack, Ethan caught sight of _Ship_ standing near the motel. The second after they had arrived in Chidis, after _Ship_ had been fully repaired, Mouse had landed it in front of the motel and had been readying it for flight when Ethan came down the stairs. He had made up some reason — he couldn't even remember it now — that they couldn't go. He had convinced Mouse, very much against her will, to remain in Chidis with him for another second; and another second; and another second.

The fact that _Ship_ was in front of the motel didn't bother Ethan. What had surprised him was that he saw dim lights inside the ship. He carefully walked over to figure out what was going on. Upon closer inspection, he saw that the controls gave off a small light, and a lamp had been switched on in the darkness to illuminate the cockpit. Intrigued, Ethan opened the hatch to _Ship_ and stepped inside.

As he approached the cockpit, he saw Mouse's hair and eyes glowing in the darkness. Ethan opened his mouth to call out a greeting, but he was stopped by Mouse's gold ring pointing at his face and her eyes narrowed in suspicion.

Ethan's core-com raced wildly. Had Mouse seen him? Did she know that he had been reporting to Daemon every night, against his will? He forced himself to not jump to conclusions, and he soon realized that Mouse was only annoyed that he had startled her, though the truth was, she had startled him. Mouse didn't know anything about Daemon or how close she was to becoming the next sprite infected.

Nonetheless, Ethan knew what her ring could do, from past experience. "Easy, Mouse," he said, as he slowly backed off. With a sigh, Mouse relaxed her hand and instead placed it on her hip.

"What are you doing out here, Ethan?" Mouse asked sharply; he had startled her, though she wasn't about to admit it. "You should be asleep at this time of night."

  
"So should you," he countered. He paused for only a nano before he spoke again, trying to make up an alibi as he went along: "I woke up, and you weren't in the room. So, I came down here to find out where you had gone. You had me worried, you know."

Mouse pursed her lips and looked away. After a moment, she returned her gaze to Ethan's. "Ah was checkin' up on _Ship_; ya know, makin' sure she was fully functional and all."

Ethan grinned wryly. "I should've known. You did that last night, too." Too late, the veins around his neck tightened, causing him to choke as punishment for his slip. 

It was too dark for Mouse to notice the veins, but she frowned at Ethan's words. "Whaddaya mean, last night? What were you doing outside last night?"

The veins relaxed on his neck, but Ethan had no idea what in the Net to say. He fumbled for a proper explanation, mentally cursing Daemon for not giving him one; the super-virus didn't want to be discovered, after all, so why not give her slaves alibis to get out of sticky situations such as this?

Mouse's eyes narrowed even further. "_Ethan_?"

"I was talking to the landlord," Ethan finally answered; "the sprite who runs the motel." He felt a moment of relief that he had made up a suitable lie, but he quickly rushed on when Mouse looked only a little bit convinced. "I was trying to set up a deal with him, that we would stay for another cycle, maybe, but pay less for our room."

"Hold on!" Mouse interrupted him, one hand extended. "Stay another cycle? Ethan, we've been here for five seconds already. When are we planning to leave?" He didn't answer, and Mouse's temper flared. "Ah want to find Ray. For all we know, he's deleted right now. He's a close friend and" — she decided to let Ethan know how she really felt — "and Ah care for `im. Ah can't — Ah _won't_ let Daemon have `im, you understand?"

"Yes, I do," Ethan snapped. His jaw tightened, but rather than say anything more, he turned and walked out of _Ship_. After a nano of consideration — Mouse had just been sitting in _Ship_ because she had nothing else to do — she followed him, closing _Ship_'s hatch and racing after Ethan.

The young Guardian had already entered the motel and started up the steep staircase. Mouse followed him — out of the corner of her eye, she noticed that there was no one at the front desk — but didn't speak until they had entered their room and closed the door.

"Ethan, now is definitely _not_ the time to get jealous," Mouse said.

Ethan was surprised and a little shocked. Sure, he was somewhat envious of the new man in Mouse's life, but he and Mouse had parted ways a long time before Daemon infected him. Jealousy was only a small part of his reluctance to help Ray; the reason he had been stalling for time was his own love for Mouse. He didn't want to see her get hurt; he wished she had never become involved in any of this.

But if wishes were units, Ethan Hertz would own the Supercomputer.

Ethan's whole body ached with fighting Daemon's Infection. She knew his every thought and impulse; she clamped down on his rebellious intentions the nano he processed them. There was no way he could tell Mouse the truth, that he was still under Daemon's control and would eventually be playing into her hands.

Ethan tried to move his jaw, but it was frozen, and he couldn't get his voice to work. 

"Look," Daemon sneered through his mouth, Ethan powerless to fight, "I'm trying to keep safe. I don't care about your precious little Surfr. I wanna save my own skin, and if that Surfr deletes, it means nothing to me." Daemon released him then, and Ethan gasped suddenly and rubbed his neck. He hated it when the super-virus did that.

He gulped — now back in control — when Mouse's eyes blazed dangerously. He saw her hands curl into fists, and he remembered that Mouse had a pretty mean right hook.

The hacker didn't resort to violence, but her voice was icy when she spoke. "Ah'm sorry you feel that way. But Ah'm gonna go save Ray — if Ah have ta do it myself." She spun on one heel and started toward the door.

A storm was building up in Ethan's chest, and he thought he would burst out of his own skin. He took several deep breaths, trying to keep his head above Daemon's overwhelming control; it crested over him in waves, and he felt indescribably weary from trying to fight her.

"I'm sorry," he finally managed to say, though the words came out as a wheeze. "I — I can't control —" He could say nothing more, and he watched Mouse through shadowed eyes.

Mouse slowly turned, her forehead creasing in puzzlement. For the first time she noticed that the veins around Ethan's neck were pulsing steadily. A trickle of fear invaded Mouse's calm; but she could trust Ethan, she firmly reminded herself. Nevertheless, she cautiously asked, "Ethan . . . are you all right?" as she reached out a hand.

"I'm fine," he forced out, his tone as curt as it had been before. This time, however, Mouse's look of anger was replaced with worry and pity. Ethan pushed her hand aside. "Get some sleep," he muttered, walking toward his side of the shabby bed.

Mouse headed into the bathroom to wash her face, her core-com heavy in her chest. She was no idiot; she could see how Ethan struggled against Daemon's control. She'd had no idea who was speaking back there, and it scared her that she couldn't recognize the sprite she used to be so close to.

Mouse knew that staying with Ethan was terribly risky, but he was the only sprite who could help her get Ray back. And maybe, just maybe, Mouse could cure Ethan of the Infection. She knew they could never go back to how they had been — their lives had turned in two different directions hours before — but at least her friend and former lover would be free.

A sound like a thunderclap resounded through the corridor, and Eide jumped almost a foot. She instantly recognized the noise as a gunshot, but the knowledge did nothing to slow her pounding core-com. She hadn't heard a gunshot for some time; even though the noise sounded far away, it meant that someone was coming — perhaps her way.

She briefly wondered where Axis was. As they were patrolling the southern apex, she had moved closer to the smaller, southeast point, realizing that if they had people assigned to only the four main points the Guardians could still sneak in undetected. Hopefully, Axis had stayed where he was to fight any Guardians that came his way.

Eide had already encountered a few, but the shots she had scored on their bodies did little to stop them. They were nearly indestructible, and on one occasion Eide had barely escaped with her head intact.

Silence had resettled over the room, and Eide expelled a breath she hadn't realized she was holding.

A sudden noise, clearer in the stillness, made her tense up again. Eide wished that she wouldn't have to be so spooked by this waiting, and that whatever was near would reveal itself and give her something substantial to see.

Her wish was granted. From one of the many snaking tunnels appeared a female Guardian with bright yellow-orange skin covered in neon green veins. Only the neck was revealed; white-and-purple armor covered the rest of the woman's body.

This Guardian seemed to have been separated from her group and had wandered through a tunnel looking for them. When she happened upon Eide, she stopped in her tracks and swiftly powered up her gun. Eide had no way of seeing the woman's face, but she had a sinking feeling that the Guardian was grinning at her.

Eide realized in a practical way that her blaster was much smaller and probably less powerful than the Guardian's. She also knew that she would have to resort to hand-to-hand combat when the need arose.

For a long time the two women stared each other down; their hands rested on their weapons, but neither shot. 

Eide knew she had more to lose, so if she had any hope of surviving she should take the first shot. Her eyes hurriedly swept over the Guardian, searching for a weak spot. The only spot unprotected was the neck; Eide squeezed the trigger, and a laser pierced the Guardian's vein-covered neck.

The woman screamed in a guttural tone Eide had never heard from the mouth of any sprite. Energy — _But not real sprite energy, right?_ Eide tried to reason — began gushing steadily from the wound, but the Guardian ignored it and aimed at Eide.

The mercenary dodged the shot easily; the Guardian had gotten clumsy. Her opponent took one hand off the gun to stem the flow of energy in her neck, and Eide knew this was her best chance to attack.

Eide holstered her gun and launched herself at the Guardian, her hands prepared to curl around the sprite's neck. The Guardian caught her in mid-leap, but Eide was ready. She twisted her waist and swung her legs at the Guardian's head. She struck the Guardian with two heavily booted feet and used the woman's armor to propel herself out of the Guardian's grip. Eide landed on her feet and grinned in a moment of self-congratulation. _And Balu said I couldn't learn,_ she thought amusedly.

While her kick had pushed the Guardian away, it hadn't even knocked her out. Ignoring her gun, the Guardian lunged at Eide. The mercenary pulled back her fist and prepared to land on a blow the Guardian's helmeted face.

The Guardian grabbed Eide's wrist firmly and squeezed. Eide gasped and attempted to yank her hand away, but the much stronger Guardian twisted her arm around her back and yanked sharply on said arm. Sharp pains sank their teeth into Eide's body, but she somehow managed to kick the Guardian in the stomach, causing her to release her.

Eide groaned and dropped to the ground, cradling her arm against her side. It wasn't broken, thank the Net, but it throbbed with white-hot pain. Eide gritted her teeth and shook her head in an attempt to block out the quick-traveling ache.

A dark shape appeared behind the Guardian, but Eide couldn't see who it was; the sprite came up only to the Guardian's shoulder. As Eide watched, the pudgy sprite lifted his right hand. In it he held a long, thin staff tipped with a glowing, blue-green substance. Enlightenment struck Eide like a jolt of electricity, and she grinned.

The Guardian spun around just as the sprite tapped her on the shoulder with the rod. The Guardian yanked out her gun, but before she could pull the trigger, she was suspended in a seven-foot-tall file-lock.

Dram Freeware stepped out from behind the frozen Guardian and bowed mockingly. Eide rolled her eyes — his charm was lost on her — but gratefully accepted the three staffs he tossed her. Two she secured in her belt, while she gripped the other tightly.

"Use these wisely," Dram instructed. "There are twenty on each rod, if you don't aim it the wrong way."

"There you are," Eide grumbled in reply. "Where were you?"

Before Dram could answer, more Guardians turned the corner and opened fire on the two mercenaries. Eide yanked open a door and pulled Dram behind it, diving behind the shield a nano after him. The door was thick, but it wouldn't protect them forever.

"Where were you?" Eide panted as she switched the file-lock to one hand and unholstered her gun with the other.

Dram leaned around the door to deliver a shot that struck a Guardian in the arm, causing him to drop his blaster. Dram followed with a series of rapid shots before ducking back down. "Wounding some Guardians," he answered as he reloaded his gun. "I also got a ton of these in the armory," he added, waving a file-lock. "They're the best thing I could find that slows them down."

"Good idea," Eide commented, adding her gunshots to the mix.

A shot struck her small blaster squarely, and the muzzle melted over her hand. "FAQ!" Eide swore, quickly dropping the gun, which had been reduced to a useless chunk of metal. She sank to her knees and leaned against the door as Dram continued to send laserfire the Guardians' way.

He glared down at the spiky-haired woman. "Come on," he growled impatiently, kicking her sharply with one booted foot.

Eide resisted the very powerful urge to leap up and throttle him. Instead she stretched her hand to make sure it wasn't injured while wrapping her fingers around one of the file-locks. Dram Freeware was a strange sprite, Eide had learned in the hours she had worked with him. He displayed a wide range of moods, usually within one half-micro. She had never liked him, not from the nano she met him.

"I'm only outnumbered about fifteen to one," Dram reminded her. Taking a deep breath to steel herself, Eide slowly raised herself and gripped the staff tightly. 

Eide took careful aim — she had only twenty shots — and applied pressure on the small black button on one side of the staff. A bright blue disc shot out, the force sending Eide backspacing several steps. The blue disc struck a Guardian squarely in the chest. The nano it touched his armor, the disc expanded to become a huge blue-green box. Within moments, the Guardian was suspended in a file-lock.

Eide was already taking aim again, lest the Guardians dodge out of the way. She brought down two more and calmly took her next shot; this one landed two Guardians in one file-lock, Eide noted with amusement.

Daemon was becoming puzzled and agitated, and her Guardians acted the same. The sprites from Azrael and Mainframe were proving far more resourceful than the super-virus had originally thought. Daemon quickly took control of her slaves, however, and they began to deflect the file-locks. Eide narrowed her eyes and concentrated harder.

Finally, the Guardians were all frozen, and nineteen of Eide's twenty shots were used up. A few of the more limber Guardians had caused her to waste one or two extra shots before she pinned them.

Eide stood up and stretched, her back sore from crouching, and challenged Dram with one word: "Ha."

He shook his head, sending his shaggy hair flying from side to side. "You're way too arrogant," he muttered.

"If you don't shut your mouth, Freeware, I will," Eide promised. "I've still got one shot left."

A shadow fell across her shoulder, and Eide was too slow to react. Dram roughly jerked Eide's staff out of her hands and shot over her shoulder. Eide ducked as the bright blue shot whizzed over her, where her head had been. After five breathless nanoseconds, Eide carefully stood up and turned around. The Guardian who had attempted to attack her was now lying on his back in a file-lock.

Eide spun back toward Dram. The shorter sprite, for his part, was smirking broadly. He handed Eide her file-lock with raised eyebrows, obviously waiting for her gratitude.

Eide sighed. "Thank you," she said grudgingly. She discarded the first staff and pulled the second file-lock rod out of her belt.

"My pleasure," Dram replied. He strapped his gun into the holster and turned toward a corridor that branched off from where they stood.

Eide's forehead creased in a frown. "Hey, where are you going?" she called.

Dram turned and answered, "We have to split up so we can stop more Guardians, _ma'am_." He raised a mocking salute to her, then spun on his heel and began to march purposefully away.

Before he reached the next corridor, a wave of hot energy blasted through, and Dram stumbled backwards to avoid being burned. Brushing off his slightly singed clothing, he hurried back toward Eide. 

"What was that?" Eide asked. 

Her question was answered, but not by Dram. Black smoke quickly rolled into the corridor, and the two mercenaries took cover behind the battered door they had used as a shield earlier. The smoke filled the room within nanoseconds, and already the temperature was rising, until the heat would become unbearable.

Covering her mouth and nose with her sleeve and narrowing her eyes, Eide crept out from behind the door, determined to see what was happening. Red and orange tongues of fire blazed in the doorway and began to invade the small room; the flames were already racing up the wall and devouring whatever they met.

She turned away and stumbled back to Dram. "There's a fire," she whispered hoarsely, collapsing beside him. 

"I got that," was his wheeze of a retort.

Eide stood again, motioning for Dram to do the same. "We have to find a fire extinguisher," she said, and he nodded to show he understood. They searched the walls and small tunnels that branched off from this room, but the smoke was increasing, making it harder for them to see.

"Here!" Dram finally shouted, though it was muffled by the smoke and his clothes. He had run into an office that branched off from one of the corridors. When Eide entered the small office, she found Dram standing by a small glass case that contained the fire extinguisher.

Eide delivered a powerful kick to the glass, and it shattered. Dram dropped his sleeve and took the heavy fire extinguisher in both hands. Turning toward the red and orange flames that had crept up on them, he pressed down hard on the handle. Keeping a careful grip on the handle, he calmly sprayed billowing white clouds over the raging fire. Soon, the flames had been forced back, and the extinguisher was spent. Dram tossed the extinguisher aside and leaned heavily against the charred wall.

Now that the air was clear, they could figure out the source of the fire. Eide cautiously walked over to the corridor where the flames had appeared and thoroughly inspected it. "From the looks of it, the fire came from the eastern point," she decided, turning back to her companion. "It must have been burning for a while if it's already reached us. Who was in the eastern point?" Dram shrugged as if to say "How do I know?" Eide growled in consternation, but the anger soon faded as she pondered what to do.

"No more dallying." Dram's slow drawl startled Eide out of her thoughts. "We've got work to do." He straightened up, pulled the first file-lock out of his belt, and turned toward another side corridor as calmly as if the fire had not just happened.

He was right, Eide knew; they were likely to capture more Guardians if they split up. She nodded to Dram and headed not to the eastern point, where the fire raged, but toward another tunnel that would take her to the middle of the Principle Office. From there, she knew there were four main corridors; she could get to the northern or western point.

Eide wasn't a religious woman, but she offered a quick prayer to the User for whomever had been in the eastern point before or after the fire broke out; she suspected AndrAIa had been stationed there. She also wondered who had fired that one shot she had heard some time before Dram had caught up with her, and if the Guardian who had shot it was coming her way.

After assigning sprites and binomes to their spots in the Principle Office, Countess Avina and her personal guards searched for a place to wait for the Guardians. The eight apexes were all taken care of, and another squad of CPUs had stationed themselves in the center of the P.O.

The 18-hour-old's guards had tried to convince her that she should be hidden away so Daemon wouldn't find her. But Avina was as stubborn as the sprite who had ruled before her, and she ordered her guards to bring her to a place where they could do their part in the fighting. So, they went outside the Principle Office.

As they hurried through dimly lit corridors — the P.O. was like a catacomb, a never-ending maze, and right now the Countess was thankful for that — a single, loud gunshot struck the still silence as a hard object would shatter glass. Avina froze, her core-com hammering wildly and her breath hissing in the cool air that reached them from outside.

Countess Misoun didn't have time to consider the one shot, as a storm of gunshots resounded off the walls behind them. From the way echoes were traveling through the building, with no Guardians to follow them, the shots could be from the next corridor down or an entirely different point of the Principle Office. Avina decided not to take her chances, and she hurried toward the two heavy doors that opened onto the cold, black night.

They emerged between the northern and northeastern points of the Principle Office. By squinting, the Countess could discern the shapes of the identical apartment buildings looming behind her; in the other direction was a strip mall.

And on top of the Principle Office were several large, black, dangerous Guardian transports.

Avina inhaled sharply and quickly bit her lip to stop the cry from leaving her mouth. Her hands trembled, but she stuffed them into her sleeves so no one could see her fear. Glancing around at the circle of faces, she realized that even her guards, who had trained for hours to become her elite bodyguards, were nervous.

One transport detached from the roof of the Principle Office and slowly wound through the air on its way to the ground. The transport settled in front of them, making the ground rattle and dust rise up around their eyes. Dark shapes began to file out of the ship, and Avina heard the sounds of guns being cocked.

"Get ready," the Countess whispered. she pulled out a blaster and gripped it tightly, even though she was surrounded by her guards. Her escorts had refused to leave her side, and Countess Misoun couldn't help but be glad that they hadn't. She knew that with Ferias as her shadow and three burly men, she couldn't feel any more protected.

Guardians rushed at them from all sides, but they were ready. Her three most trusted guards ran forward to meet the Guardians, while Ferias lingered next to Avina. The Guardians had a difficult time knocking aside the Countess' bodyguards — rather, they were the ones who were pushed away — but some did reach the young sprite.

Avina wasn't helpless. Before her teenage hours, she had endured slow and rigorous training in various forms of self-defense. She employed some of those methods now, doing her best to drive back the Guardians who came at her; Ferias had her hands full already.

Even though she had some skills under her belt, Avina couldn't drive any of the Guardians to the ground. It had something to do with the fact that they were "deleted but still processing" as Axis had put it in a confusing explanation one second. Avina finally had no choice but to use her blaster. She had also done target practice, but at the time she had been several hours younger and had never imagined that she would actually be required to use it in a situation such as the one she was trapped in now. 

The Countess flinched when the first Guardian she shot was flung to the ground. A cold absence of emotion blanketed her mind, and she forced herself to act numb to the groans the Guardians let out when they fell. They jumped up a few nanoseconds later, and soon gunshots riddled their armor, though they kept on coming.

Ferias shot a Guardian in the neck, and it sent him to the ground for good. She spared only a glance for the fallen sprite before she turned toward the next Guardian who was advancing in front of her.

Countess Misoun didn't hear the Guardian come up behind her. Only when a voice breathed in her ear, "A host for Daemon" did Avina react. She twisted out of his grip and kicked him as hard as she could.

Another Guardian grabbed her hair and yanked her head back, exposing her neck. Before he could press a small, hand-sized gun against her skin, Ferias shot him in the back with her blaster. His body jerked once, then his grip loosened on Avina's hair, and he fell, still.

Avina couldn't waste time to be shocked at her near-brush with deletion. Hearing a sound behind her, she swung her gun around and hit the next Guardian square in the chest. He was flung back several yards and smashed heavily into a cement wall; when his body hit the ground, he stayed there.

Ferias yanked the tiny gun out of the Guardian's hand and held it up to her face. After a few moments of scrutiny, she opened the barrel and emptied its contents into her hand. Ferias threw the gun aside and showed Countess Misoun the small purple darts. "Tranquilizers," she explained in her quiet, level voice.

Countess Misoun rubbed her neck where the gun had almost hit her. "He said something like A body for Daemon'," she offered, wondering if that made any sense. Her face contorted in fear for a moment, but the next nano her expression was smooth again. "I guess they really do want to take me away — and alive." She gulped on the last word.

Ferias laid a gentle hand on Avina's arm. "We will protect you, Your Grace."

They weren't finished with the fighting, however. More Guardians, seeing the young Countess, rushed at them from somewhere — Avina wasn't sure where most of them came from, and she couldn't help but think that there were too many to count and that they would keep on coming.

Countess Avina stubbornly shoved aside her pessimistic worries and stood her ground. Her bodyguards were ready to fight, and so was she. She took a deep breath and firmly told herself that she had to focus on one Guardian at a time; delete one, delete the next, delete another, until they were all gone.

This was going to be a long night.

Axis resolved to tell Codec he wanted to be partnered up with someone else next time as he quietly made his way through the corridors. It was eerily silent down here, and Axis saw no Azraelian guards. Either they were deleted, he couldn't help but think, or — the more optimistic view — they had moved to other parts of the Principle Office and were still fighting Guardians.

As of yet, Axis hadn't encountered any of the infected Guardians, and of that he was glad. His plan — the best he could think of -- was to meet up with Bob, or maybe Eide, and proceed from there.

As he treaded silently down the corridor, a large, armored shape slammed into his side. Axis choked on a scream and kicked the Guardian roughly in the chest. The infected sprite stumbled back several steps. He shook his head from side to side before jerking his gun out of the holster and shooting at Axis. 

The lanky sprite ducked down, at the same time bringing out his blaster. He rose, taking quick, perfectly accurate shots at the Guardian. Though he hated deletion, Axis Lurker scored highest of all The Net's Own in target practice. 

The bullets struck the Guardian's armor, but they did little to deter him. He advanced and punched Axis in the face. Axis' head snapped back, and he heard a sickening crunch. Now it was his turn to fall back, his blaster slipping from his fingers as his hands came up to cradle his broken nose. Energy gushed down his face, and for a moment he trembled as the urge to vomit weighed heavily upon him.

Axis pushed aside the pain and gathered his resolve. He bent to pick up the blaster and spun toward the Guardian. The Guardian had expected the puny sprite to falter or even be knocked unconscious. Axis reacted too quickly for the Guardian to match with his own reflex, and so he took all of the shots from Axis.

Axis was a practiced physician, so he was able to come to a conclusion of how to wound the Guardian as he watched his opponent stagger and fall heavily against the wall. He lunged at the Guardian and pressed him against the wall. He pushed the muzzle of his gun into the Guardian's unprotected neck, and his finger tightened on the trigger. His breath caught in his throat, and his core-com was beating rapidly. Axis shut his eyes for a fraction of a nanosecond and reminded himself that the sprite he faced had been deleted a long time ago, and the infected Guardian he was finishing off was just a shell.

In all sensibility, a thin sprite like Axis shouldn't have been able to beat down a muscular, well-trained Guardian, especially if said Guardian were controlled by a powerful super-virus. True enough, the infected sprite had been caught off-guard by Axis' quick reflexes, but now he was ready. He wrenched out of Axis' grip and rammed him into the opposite wall. Axis yelled and flailed with his legs, but the Guardian punched him repeatedly in the face.

Axis gasped and willed himself to ignore the searing pain all over his face. His hands hung uselessly at his sides. As the Guardian continued to pummel him, Axis hurriedly unlatched his belt and looped it around the Guardian's neck, cinching the leather tightly.

The Guardian stopped punching Axis, and his hands went to his neck as he fought to rip the belt off. Axis knew that the Guardian wasn't being choked and wasn't likely to conveniently fall to the ground, but he _did_ know that his opponent was slowed down, for the moment.

Axis picked up his gun and held it to the back of the Guardian's neck. If his reasoning worked — and Axis prayed to the User, because otherwise he would be one dead sprite — injuring the host body beyond processing would stop the Guardian. Axis' hand didn't shake anymore, and with a cold cruelty, he applied pressure on the trigger. The shot, at its close range, blew through the Guardian's neck, and he slumped to the ground. Axis knelt by the Guardian and cautiously inspected his prone form. The veins around the Guardian's neck tightened. The glowing green color seemed to spasm; then the veins went a dead black.

Axis pushed himself up with one hand, feeling as if he inhabited another sprite's body. He was jolted back to reality by the queasiness in his bruised face, and Axis opened his mouth to take in noisy gasps of air. This was why he hated fighting.

More Guardians were coming, Axis could tell by the growing noise of boots striking the metal floor. The sound was coming from the direction of the western point — where Bob and Matrix were stationed, Axis recalled, his core-beat quickening.

Axis flattened himself against the wall and struggled to breathe quietly through his broken nose, though it brought fiery pain. The Guardians bounded past him, toward another apex of the Principle Office.

When Axis was sure that no other Guardians followed their comrades, he stepped back out into the open. Pointedly ignoring the deleted Guardian, Axis went to retrieve his belt from the sprite's neck. As he straightened up, his pants, with nothing to hold them, slid down his legs.

A bark of laughter escaped his lips. Axis was unable to hold back the guffaw that followed, and he laughed loudly for almost a millisecond until his sides ached. Here he was, having just escaped a life-and-deletion situation, and he was laughing because his pants were unbelted. 

A platoon of CPUs sprinted past the side corridor, but after a moment they stopped and retraced their steps. They lingered in the doorway, surprised and puzzled at the sight of a lanky sprite with his pants pooled around his ankles.

Axis' chuckles abruptly stopped when he saw the CPUs standing at the doorway with raised eyebrows. "Hello, gentlemen," he said pleasantly as he pulled his pants back up and secured them with the belt, after wiping the Guardian's energy off the leather. "I was fighting a Guardian," Axis explained when they still looked dumbstruck. "I choked him with this," Axis added, pointing to the belt. The CPUs slowly nodded, one by one, as if that explained everything.

"Hel — help . . ." a familiar voice cried out suddenly. From the eastern apex of the P.O. came a sharp gasp, followed by soft, weak-sounding cries. The CPUs all turned their attention toward the corridor.

"I'll go that way," Axis spoke up, and the sprites and binomes turned back to him. "If there's a Guardian, I can delete him. I saw the rest of the troops go this way." He jerked his thumb in the direction the infected sprites had gone. "Why don't you all go after them? If I went after the Guardians, I'd be sorely outnumbered, but you all will make it pretty even."

The CPUs agreed with his reasoning. Shouldering their weapons, they headed in the way Axis had pointed. For his part, Axis slipped his gun out of its holster and slipped around the corner he had heard the cries coming from. He slowly advanced forward with the weapon held out, in case a trap awaited him.

Axis jumped around the corner, his gun pointing at any threat. But no one leapt at him, and when he did a quick search, he saw no sign of Guardians. In fact, there were only blue-gray metal walls stretching ahead of him. Axis frowned and continued down the corridor. The cries had stopped, but someone gasped in the stillness, and Axis followed the breathy whispers as well as he could. The sprite's — or binome, Axis reasoned — breathing turned loud and ragged, then stopped altogether.

Axis rushed around another corner; he was sure he knew where the victim was. He caught sight of an average-sized sprite sprawled on his back, and Axis' face split into a grin. He hurried forward, pleased that he had found the sprite — but when he reached the injured man, the smile dropped from his face, to be replaced by a look of horror.

Bob's prone form lay on the ground, quivering. His silver suit was stained with blue-green energy that gushed furiously from the wound in his stomach. Axis knelt by the Guardian and gasped, "Oh my User!" while he fumbled in his pocket for a communicator. He turned it on and frantically yelled, "Dram or Eide, I need you in the northwestern point. Now!" He left the communicator on and stuffed it into his pocket. 

Axis carefully lifted the Guardian's head. Bob's whole body was shaking, and his eyelids fluttered unconsciously. Axis pulled off his jacket and held it over Bob's stomach to stem the flow of energy. Bob muttered something, but it was too low for Axis' hearing.

"Quiet, Bob," the mercenary instructed, trying to keep his head up while he continued to apply pressure to the injury.

Bob looked up at him with feverish eyes. "It's so cold," he whispered, his body convulsing. "Why is it so cold?"

Axis raised his head and yelled, "Help! Somebody, please come! It's Bob! He's been hurt! Please, help!" in the hopes that some guards or one of his friends would hear him. But none of the CPUs came; they must have already been too far away to hear his shouts.

Bob groaned, and his trembling increased. Axis pressed his hands, already soaked with energy, down harder. He took a trembling breath and cried out again for help.

"It's okay, Bob. Just stay still," Axis instructed softly. Bob started to mutter again, but his quivering ceased a little.

Axis tried calling for a third time, with no answer. Finally, he started to rise. "Guess I'm going to have to take matters into my own hands," he said to himself, with a glance at his energy-stained hands. He placed his hands under Bob's armpits and slowly lifted the Guardian up. Bob's eyes rolled back into his head, and Axis realized that he was out cold. He tried to lean the Guardian against his shoulder, but the older sprite was dead weight. Nonetheless, Axis supported Bob's body against his as he tried to walk out of the chamber, with one hand still on Bob's stomach, towards the center of the Principle Office.

He had gone four shaky steps when Bob's weight became too much for him, and Axis staggered and fell. Bob dropped to the ground with a groan, but he was still insensible.

Axis pulled his communicator out again and spoke into it, "Eide, Dram, you get your ASCIIs here — the northwestern point! Bob's been shot, and I need help to get him out of here! Oh, where are they, dammit?" he whispered to himself.


	18. Ambush, or Friendly Fire, PART 3

CHAPTER EIGHT

AMBUSH / FRIENDLY FIRE, PART 3

"Your Grace, follow me! Countess. . . . Countess Misoun, please come here. . . . AVINA!"

Ferias' usually quiet voice rose in a scream, startling Avina out of her terrified stupor. The young Countess turned at the shout of her name, but a horde of Guardians blocked her path, and she couldn't see where her companions were. She tried to push her way through them, kicking desperately with her arms and legs, but they reached out hands to snatch her away, and Avina could only shoot blindly with her gun. 

A Guardian fell, wounded by a lucky shot, and Avina darted through the hole in the wall of Guardians. Her breath came in loud, ragged gasps, and her legs were on fire. She had never run this much in her life, and she would soon pay for it. Her feet struck the ground heavily, and weariness weighed her down. In another few nanoseconds the Guardians would be on her, and all hope would be lost. 

The Countess silently cursed the Guardians. They never tired. They were always fresh and ready to fight and delete her officers. A handful of Guardians — _only a handful_ — had fallen since she had begun fighting them; it had to have been at least a microsecond ago. 

Her anger miraculously spurred her on, and Avina found that she could somehow keep running. Hate filled her body and set her core-com on fire. She emptied her processor of thoughts and let only curses flow in. She swore in her mind, despising every pixel of the Guardians and Daemon and whatever twist of fate had caused Daemon to learn of Azrael's location and attack them.

Then she was slowed down. One Guardian shot a laser her way, and Avina dodged it. But the shot ricocheted off the cement wall and struck her arm, raising a large, red welt and causing Avina to drop her gun. She slumped against the cool wall, the gray stone smeared with sprite and binome energy. Pain, mixed with her present exhaustion, was quickly making her dizzy, and through bleary eyes she was just able to perceive the same Guardian aiming his gun at her.

The larger of her two guards, a brawny, balding man with midnight-blue skin, flung himself in front of Avina. His force slammed her into the wall, but the laser intended for her hit him instead. It bounced off his armor, but Avina still cried out, in shock and fear.

The guard grinned wearily at her. "No worries, Your Grace. I'm just protecting you until one of our guys cuts down this bas —" His cheery words were abruptly cut off as a shot struck him full-force, driving past his armor and into the soft skin of the sprite. The guard's smile flashed to a grimace, and he suddenly released a wet, hacking cough. His hands tightened reflexively on Avina's shoulders, and a shudder raced through his body.

Avina couldn't help the revulsion that flooded her body. She wriggled out of his death-grip and let his body slump to the dusty ground. Bile painted the back of her throat, but Avina forced it back and instead dropped to the ground as the next laser carved a hole in the rock where her chest had been.

The odor of energy was strong, and again Avina's stomach roiled. Her lips trembling as she struggled to hold back more than her tears, she carefully shut her guard's eyes and pushed herself up on her knees. After a moment of consideration, she grimly pried his fingers off of his gun and hefted it experimentally. It was much larger than her own, and if she had any hope of surviving this night she had to use all the firepower she could get. 

Countess Avina raced for cover; she had seen some of the CPUs duck into some sort of shelter. Bullets rained down on her from all sides, and around her binomes fell and disappeared in brief white flashes. An Azraelian sprite dove at a Guardian and was shot in the chest. The Guardian he had fought picked up the fallen sprite's gun and proceeded on to the next victims.

Avina tripped over a prone body but regained her footing before falling. She had the misfortune to glance back and saw the face of her other, best-trained guard staring back at her, his mouth open in a silent scream as energy dribbled from his lips.

A hand shot out and wrapped around her ankle, and the viciously merciless Guardian tugged roughly on Avina's ankle. She dropped to her knees, sobbing in frustration and nearly dropping her gun. With an effort, she twisted her torso around and shot furiously at the Guardian, not caring where she hit him as long as she scored a shot. The Guardian's grin was soon wiped off his face — literally — as shot after shot blasted holes in his head and ripped away vein-covered skin. He finally keeled over, energy dripping from countless wounds in his face and neck, and his hand opened enough that Avina could slip her ankle out of his grip.

Countess Avina screamed. What else could she do? Her chest heaved with racking sobs, and she cried out in fear and anger until her throat was raw and her voice was gone. Tears streaming down her cheeks, she propelled herself up from the ground and stumbled toward the shelter, which was now in plain sight. Her guards and CPUs were huddled there, waving her in. A sprite crept out and yanked Avina in; she couldn't have resisted if she had tried.

Now Avina did retch. She was violently sick for several milliseconds as her guards watched on. None of them thought less of her; they had all experienced a minor battle or two, but the Countess had never been prepared for the bloodshed a huge fight would entail. When Avina had finished, Ferias carefully crawled to her side and handed her a rag from someone's uniform to wipe her face and hands.

Avina wiped her face and collapsed into the arms of her friend. "Ferias, you're alive," she croaked in no more than a whisper, her eyes burning because she had shed all the tears she could. "The Guardians — they deleted — the others —"

"I know," Ferias answered; though there was no evidence of a sob in her voice, her throat tightened to the point where she could barely speak. "User, I know."

The shelter in which they were huddled was a little more than an abandoned shack. The Guardians' relentless laserfire had nearly beaten down the walls. The CPUs tightened their grips on their weapons and grimly watched the enemy through the sooty windows. They were ready to fight and delete and be deleted.

Watching them, Avina felt an overwhelming rush of pride, and more tears slipped down her dirty cheeks. Here were the citizens of Azrael. They weren't the pompous millionaires who overlooked construction on new buildings and the preservation of environmental parks. Azrael's real protectors were every CPU and guard who trained and fought for their system. Their energy stained Azrael's soil, and their codes disappeared into the system's atmosphere when they had fought all they could and yet fought some more and were finally cut down and released from their duty. They remained true and faithful.

The rich men and women Avina had conversed with at dinner the previous evening were cowering in their mansions and hotel suites like cowards, whimpering every time they saw a CPU transport shot down on the news.

Avina sat with the fighting class of Azrael now, and she realized how dedicated they were to the safety of their fellow sprites and binomes, who were also huddled under bed sheets. These CPUs had families and homes, yet they were giving it all up to stop unbeatable Guardians and keep their spouses and children from being deleted.

Countess Avina Param Misoun would be deleted with them, if that would be what it took to drive back Daemon's Guardians for good. She sat up straighter, wiped her eyes with one hand, and curled her fingers around the gun she had picked up from one of her fallen guards. In his name, and for all who had been deleted or were nearing the end of their lives, she would fight until every last drop of energy had bled from her body.

The Guardians were advancing. Their guns were held out before them, the glowing muzzles trained on the sprites and binomes using the cement wall as a shield. There was nowhere for the Azraelians to go; they would be deleted in only a few more nanos.

And then hope arrived, in the form of one of the mercenaries from Mainframe who rushed out of the Principle Office. For the life of her, Avina couldn't remember his name — Bob? No, that was the blue man. There was Axis, but he was blue too. Finally, she recognized the pudgy, olive-skinned sprite as Dram Freeware. He swaggered onto the corpse-ridden scene, swinging some sort of rod with a glowing blue-green substance at the end of it.

Countess Avina's first thought was entirely ungrateful, because she had no idea what Dram was thinking: _They're going to shoot him down, and then they're going to delete us. Great, one more millisecond before I get killed._

Dram Freeware let loose a ringing cry, which Avina wouldn't have imagined in him. "You filthy Guardians are gonna die!" he screamed, brandishing the glowing staff. As one, the Guardians all turned their heads toward Dram questioningly. He whipped the staff down and pointed the head at the Guardians. He must have pressed a button, because suddenly small discs shot out of the staff and struck the Guardians in the chest. They stumbled back and were immediately suspended in file-locks.

Dram advanced without hesitation, and now it was the Guardians who backed away. The short mercenary continued with his rapid shots, and soon half of the Guardians were frozen and entirely unable to fight.

Dram tossed aside the first staff and yanked another from his belt. "Bring it on!" he yelled. "I've got lots more where that came from!"

The Guardians — or perhaps Daemon, _controlling_ the Guardians — decided that they would be useless if frozen. They backed away from Dram and bolted for their transport. Dram caught one or two of them in mid-leap, and they clattered to the ground, their figures surrounded by blue-green cubes. The rest dashed up the ladders into their transport and hurriedly slammed the hatch closed behind them. The transport slowly lifted into the air and spun around until it was facing the roof of the Principle Office.

Avina could have cried with relief, but her tears were spent. Somehow, she managed a hoarse cheer as she slowly rose from beneath the shelter. Dram whirled around, but he relaxed upon recognizing the Azraelian guards, led by their ruler.

"Thank you," the Countess whispered, unable to form any other words. She swallowed hard and was able to add, "You saved our lives. Thank you so much, Dram Freeware."

His face was hard, and the expression in his eyes didn't soften one bit. "You're welcome," he answered stiffly, turning his attention toward the slowly rising Guardian transport. "Don't celebrate yet; they're in the air."

The stench of rotting bodies and energy still hung in the air, but Avina was already able to breathe easier. "That is something I think we can handle," she told Dram and her CPUs. She grabbed a communicator from the CPU chief and spoke into it. "Principle Office, this is Countess Misoun. Do you see the Guardian transport hovering over your roof?"

The communicator crackled for a nano, then a female's voice came from the other end. "Affirmative, Your Grace. Guns are tracking its every movement."

Countess Avina looked up at the roof of the Principle Office and saw the lasers poised. The grin that flashed over her face was feral. "Shoot them out of the sky."

"Will do, and will enjoy every nano of it," the female officer replied from the other end. The connection ended, and they all turned toward the Principle Office to watch the colorful display of lasers attack the lumbering black transport. The lasers scored a direct hit, and orange and red flames appeared on the ship, slowly eating away at the hull. 

The Guardians tried furiously to make their ship rise up so that they could escape to the Net or the Web, but already the shots had taken their toll. The transport wobbled uncertainly in the air, then took a steep nosedive. It spiraled into the ground, and a wall of fire rose from a spot far beyond the Principle Office. From the roof came audible shouts of triumph.

"Look over there," Ferias commented coolly, although her emotions were anything but. Avina spun around and watched as the other two transports began to lift off from the ground. She saw ant-sized shapes scurry into the ships before they blasted off for the edge of Azrael; apparently, they had the same idea as the first unfortunate transport.

Avina spoke to the CPUs at the Principle Office again. "Commander . . ."

"I see them, Your Grace, and I'm sending ships out as we speak."

The transports hovered uncertainly over Azrael's Principle Office. Daemon was not willing to escape Azrael without the sprite she had come for, but the tide had turned against her. Azrael's citizens had taken the force of her attack and shoved it back onto her; three-fourths of her troops were out of the fighting, and there were plenty more Azraelians to take on the rest of her Guardians.

Far away in the Web, the super-virus hissed in fury at the young Countess and the Mainframers. Gnashing her teeth, she finally closed her eyes and relayed the message to the two transports in the sky.

"Return to my base." She would attack again and delete all the sprites who had opposed her that night. Then again, the situation in Mainframe was coming along perfectly on-schedule. Daemon would have at least one victory there.

As the Guardian transports wheeled around and shot for the outer limits of Azrael, CPU ships followed close on their tails. Bright laserfire struck strategic points on one transport's hull, and it staggered in the air.

But it didn't fall. The Guardian transport circled slowly and brought its huge guns to point right at the smaller CPU. Avina's core-com tightened in sudden panic. Fortunately, the more agile ship dodged the laserfire and retaliated, shoving the Guardian ship out of its flight path. Smoke billowing from its side, the transport sagged and dipped behind the far wall of the Principle Office for quick repairs before it could set off for the Net.

Before Avina could issue the command herself, a CPU broke off from the group to follow the transport. Countess Avina chewed her lip anxiously as she watched the CPU slip around the edge of the P.O.

But it turned out they had bigger troubles. Namely, one _huge_ problem. That dilemma quickly made itself known in a ferocious crackling explosion. Avina and the remaining sprites and binomes twisted around, their weapons raised. The guns were no help, however, against the burning wall of fire that had erupted in the eastern point of the Principle Office.

The Principle Office was slowly burning. Room after room was being invaded by crackling fire that steadily tore down the supports and attacked each room's contents. The flames licked hungrily at pictures, desks and chairs, data files — anything and everything was reduced to ash and grotesquely twisted metal.

On the ground, it was utter mayhem. Guardians and CPUs were locked in deadly combat, battling with blasters, cannons, and hard punches and kicks. The black sky was studded with stars and shot through with iridescent laserfire. Sprites and binomes dropped to the dirt, already piled with corpses of their comrades and enemies, with screams of pain and fear, their bodies battered beyond the point of processing. Some deleted immediately, while others were forced to endure long microseconds of bleeding, until they ceased to breathe at all.

Matrix raced out of the Principle Office's western point, adrenaline pumping endlessly through his energy. He had run without stopping since the core-stopping moment he had seen Bob —

Matrix gasped as the frigid night air crawled through his clothing and pierced his skin with its icy touch. He tripped and fell heavily to the ground, bracing his fall with his hands in time. Though his chest ached with his ragged breathing and held-back sobs, he shoved himself to his feet again and stumbled down the gravel road beside the P.O.

The sounds of battle reached his ears from over the wall of the Principle Office. _Too much fighting, too many sprites deleted. I used to thrill for the hunt and the kill, but now I want nothing to do with it, absolutely nothing at all. _Matrix staggered away in an almost drunken stupor, but there was no intoxication inside him.

And yet, there was something dangerously wrong with the renegade._ There had to be._ Matrix could never face himself if there weren't a cause for the abominable act he had committed. He just needed an explanation, to know that it wasn't his fault he had . . . that he had —

He couldn't even phrase the horrible thought.

Matrix shivered, his eyes darting from side to side as a feeling of unease grew in his stomach. He paused in the overhang of a shop where the darkness concealed his large form, excepting his glowing red eye. Matrix shut his eyes and whispered to himself to calm the hammering in his core-com, but it didn't help.

The rational part of his processor — unfortunately, a very small part at the moment — urged him to return to the Principle Office and bring Bob to safety, or at least to contact the Azraelian guards and inform them of the situation.

__

But then, that same icy voice taunted in his head; Matrix had given up trying to get rid of her, and he listened without fighting, because there was no way in the Net he could. _But then they would link you to the shooting. You'll be thrown into jail before you can say "alphanumeric". _

His tormentor paused thoughtfully. Matrix could just imagine the grin that spread across her face, and he knew she was laughing when she said, _Or, they'll put you on deletion row, and your life will be snuffed out like a candle. That's what they do to murderers._

Matrix's chest tightened in real, insistent fear, and he struggled to respond. He didn't even know if the voice could hear him. _Bob can't be deleted! Please, don't let him die! I should die, for what I did to him. Bob deserves to live far more than I do. _Air rushed back into his chest, and a loud sob wrenched itself from his throat before Matrix could stop it. His suffering in the Games had given him experience with how to hide his crying, and he firmly shut his mouth and swallowed the load of sobs that tore at his lips to be free. His entire body ached with the effort, but finally the sobs subsided, and Matrix could breathe freely again.

As Matrix burst from the Principle Office, the CPU transport assigned to follow a straggling Guardian ship appeared over the edge of the P.O. As the captain guided the ship through the inky blackness of night, searching for the black transport camouflaged very well, his searchlight passed over the form of a large sprite.

The captain paused and brought the searchlight back, until it brightened the hollow where a hulking green sprite huddled against the wall of a shop. The captain strained his eyes to see the sprite and finally recognized him as one from the group of mercenaries assigned to watch Countess Misoun. This sprite must have been separated from the rest during the ambush, and he was trying to find his way back to his companions while keeping out of sight of the Guardians.

The captain grinned, thinking that the Countess would be overjoyed to see one of her mercenaries safe again. He brought his CPU into a slow dive, heading right toward the lone sprite. He readied a megaphone so he could speak with the sprite when he landed.

Matrix nearly suffered a core-com attack when a huge searchlight illuminated his hiding spot, placing him in complete view. He dove into the alley beside the shop and crouched low to the ground, keeping his breathing shallow as he nervously watched the air above him.

The bright searchlight followed his movements, digging deep into the dark alley until it fell on his form again. Matrix tried to look up but was blinded by the glare of the light. He swore angrily and shut his eyes; in his haste, he failed to recognize Azrael's coat of arms, however dirty and faded it was, painted on the side of the CPU ship.

The Guardian ship that was supposed to be tailed by the CPU paused in its escape and slowly pivoted to see what was holding up its enemy. Passing another, green-tinted searchlight over the ground, the Guardians quickly sighted Matrix. Recognizing him as one of the sprites Daemon desired to delete, the transport swooped in for the kill.

Bright red lasers gouged chunks out of the ground next to Matrix, and he flattened himself against the wall. Now he had two ships to worry about. He was sure they were both sent by Daemon, come to capture him and bring him to the super-virus. But he was part of the Matrix family, and there was no way that he would go down without a hell of a fight.

Matrix yanked Gun out of the holster and held it up threateningly. He narrowed his eyes, the cybernetic implant already targeting, and shot at the smaller ship that was closer to him.

The CPU reeled and tried to back away, as the shots from Gun began to make some damage on the battered hull. Azraelian sprites and binomes swore and shouted at the large green sprite on the ground, wondering why he was shooting at his comrades. The captain of the transport held out his megaphone and shouted, "Put down your weapons." Perhaps if he had added, "We mean no harm" Matrix would have recognized the Azraelian guards.

Matrix chuckled grimly under his breath. "Not a chance."

The CPU, under attack from the misunderstanding sprite, swiveled and attempted to escape behind the roof of the Principle Office. As the captain turned around his ship, he came face to face with a leering Guardian visible in the viewport of the Guardian ship. In trying to rescue Matrix, he had not seen which way the transport had gone. Now, it filled his view and dwarfed the tiny ship.

Matrix, meanwhile, darted behind another building and edged along the slimy brick walls of the adjoining alleyway until he was certain that he was out of sight. Only then did he slump to the dirty, garbage-covered ground and expel the breath he had been holding. He rested his head on his arms, though he still gripped Gun in his right hand.

Daemon's Guardians had lost sight of Matrix, but there was a CPU ship, full of sprites and binomes, right in front of them, so they weren't too disappointed. The commander of the transport, a lanky man with glaringly white skin, sent out the orders as transmitted to him by Daemon: "Delete them."

The transport, though wounded in flight, had its weapons charged at one-hundred percent. The two huge lasers in the front of the transport, as well as four smaller guns on the sides, swiveled around to point directly at the CPU. Now the Azraelians didn't care about one psychotic sprite shooting at them; they raced back the way where Matrix was, their engines glowing white with the power thrown into their burst of speed. The Guardians pursued, like a cat tailing a piece of string. Their lasers glowed bright green, prepared for the moment they would be let loose.

When they were only a hundred feet apart, bright gunshots exploded from the Guardian transport and pummeled the CPU. The Guardian ship veered sharply and rose into the air to avoid the destruction from its own blasts. The black transport hovered in the midnight sky, watching closely as the CPU struggled to perform automatic repairs. But the lasers had hit all sides of the ship and rendered it unable to fly.

The CPU ship blazed in the night, plummeting toward the Principle Office. It crashed into the northwestern point, and crackling flames leaped off its hull to attack the shimmering metal of the roof. In milliseconds, the fire would reach into the Principle Office and spread to the other rooms the other flames had missed.

The Guardians, satisfied with their work, circled once and flew for the outer limits of the system. They were joined by the only other surviving transport, and the two ships rose like sleek, dark hawks. A golden portal blossomed in the sky, and Daemon's two transports — carrying a significantly reduced number of Guardians than when they first entered Azrael — slipped through, leaving behind an assaulted system and a ruined Principle Office.

Matrix didn't know what had happened to the Guardian ships tracking him; when he peeked around the corner, he saw no ships. Out of the corner of his eye he glimpsed the beginnings of a fire, but he didn't think to connect it to the two transports that had flown above him.

Matrix curled up in the shadow of a dumpster and wrapped his brawny arms around his legs, looking for all the Net like Little Enzo fighting off some sort of internal demon. Matrix squeezed his eyes shut and took several deep breaths of the bitter air.

Everything would be all right, he willed himself to believe. In the morning, things would be okay again.

Little did Matrix know, but he had just cost ten Azraelian citizens their lives.

Eide heard Axis' voice squawking over her communicator. She picked it off her belt and listened to his second message. But the Principle Office was huge, not to mention complex, and it wasn't until at least ten milliseconds later that she could make her way through the sectors and find the western point.

"Oh User above!" she cried when she saw the two sprites. "Axis, what happened?"

"Where do I start?" Axis sighed.

Eide tentatively raised a hand to his cheek; her fingers came off smeared with energy. "Is this Bob's energy, or —" She studied him more closely and inhaled sharply when she saw his twisted nose and the mottled bruises surrounding it. "What in the Net happened to _you_, Lurker?"

"Fight with a Guardian," he answered simply. "It's not important; the Guardian's gone for good, and that's all that matters. I'll get treated later."

Eide nodded, the shadow of a smile on her lips. "So, what happened to Bob, then?" she asked, suddenly crisp and businesslike again.

"Did you hear the gunshot?" Axis inquired.

"I heard hundreds of gunshots," she snapped back.

"Well, I heard this one and then Bob moaning. When I got here, I saw him lying on the ground. I couldn't see any other sprites, but someone shot him."

"Filthy, dirty Guardians," Eide muttered. She clenched a fist. "Now I'm sounding like Freeware."

"Come on, let's get Bob out of here," Axis urged. Eide helped him to lift Bob, and together the two sprites brought the senseless Guardian out of the chamber. Bob twitched slightly in their arms, but he remained unconscious. When Eide pressed her ear to his chest, his breathing was dangerously shallow and the beat of his core-com was faint.

"How much energy has he lost?" she asked Axis.

"I don't know how much exactly. When I found him, he seemed to have been shot only a short while ago, probably by one of those Guardians. I've tried to stop the bleeding; I put my jacket over it, and I think most of it's been stopped for now."

They reached the southern point to find no one but the fallen bodies of Guardians.

"Why haven't they fragmented?" Axis questioned, looking at the lifeless forms.

"That's what I was wondering," Eide answered. "No time to ponder it right now." She looked around. "I thought Matrix was supposed to be here."

"I think he was, but he must have moved to another point." Axis sighed. "Everybody's somewhere else. So much confusion."

"Just what they wanted," Eide said grimly. Her hands slipped, then she tightened her hold on Bob's body. "Let's go."

After what seemed like hellish microseconds, they emerged onto the street. The cold night air pressed against their bodies after the heat of battle inside the P.O., and Axis shivered. The sky was pitch black, as it was the middle of the night. Lights in the Principle Office had been switched on, illuminating the building and the streets around it with a ghostly glow. 

Even though her injured arm had begun to ache fiercely again, Eide took most of Bob's weight from Axis, allowing him to rest his aching arms momentarily. He pushed his hair out of his eyes, ignoring the energy he smeared over his face in doing so, adjusted his glasses, and looked around. What he saw made him stumble back in shock and almost fall.

"User Above," Axis uttered fearfully. "_Look_."

At his whisper, Eide turned toward the eastern point of Azrael's Principle Office. She sucked in her breath sharply and almost dropped Bob. Axis quickly returned to her side and took some of Bob's weight in his arms again. Both sprites gazed sadly on the horrible sight of destruction.

The Principle Office's eastern point had been completely decimated. The ceiling and walls had been blown apart, and a bright fire raged around and inside the point. The red and orange flames devoured everything in its sight, but, fortunately, it hadn't yet reached the other sections. Black smoke poured into the air, the small wind blowing it toward the rest of the sector.

Sirens blared in the distance, startling Axis and Eide out of their horrified stupor. They watched as ambulances, white paint standing out in the smoky night, raced toward the eastern point. Bright red fire trucks followed, letting out their keening alarm as well.

The vehicles halted abruptly front of the P.O., and scores of firefighters streamed forth. Without a second thought, they plunged into the maze of fire and crumbling walls. The paramedics hovered at the edge of the scene, waiting for victims to be pulled out and transported to the hospital.

Eide and Axis started toward one of the ambulances when they heard the voice of Countess Avina. The young woman ran toward them, limping slightly. Wisps of her hair stuck out around her face, and the rest of her braid was plastered to the back of her neck. Her skin was smudged and bloodied, and her clothes were torn. Ferias was still by her side, but the other guards were nowhere to be seen.

The Countess reached the mercenaries and opened her mouth to speak, but she caught sight of Bob. The large gun she carried clattered to the ground, and she covered her mouth with her dirty hands. Her eyes, bright with tears, darted from Bob's form to Eide and Axis.

"Is he . . . ?" she started, her voice scratchy.

"He'll be all right," Axis assured her, "_if_ we can get him to a hospital, _now_."

"I can't feel my legs," Bob moaned, and all eyes turned to him. He flailed slightly, but Axis pressed a hand on his chest to keep him from moving.

Avina tentatively touched Bob's head, feeling his sweat-damp hair. "It's all right, Bob," she said in a trembling voice. She swallowed thickly and turned toward the eastern point of the Principle Office. Her lower lip quivered, but she called out in a loud, authoritative voice, "We need help over here!"

The paramedics saw her and nodded, but they couldn't move the ambulance. A group of binomes rushed over, carrying a stretcher among them. Axis and Eide let the medics lift Bob onto the stretcher, and they followed as he was carried to the ambulance at the eastern point.

"Four squads, to me!" the fire chief yelled over the din. All heads turned to him, weary eyes filled with questions.

"There's another fire, in the northwestern point of the Principle Office!" the fire chief explained at full bellow. "I need four squads there — _now_!"

Avina shaded her eyes and stared hard in the direction of the smaller point located between the north and west apexes. Sure enough, crackling flames had almost swallowed that section of the Principle Office. The flames grew steadily, bringing a gruesome light to the dark sky.

Without wasting time, the four trucks the fire chief had requested departed from the eastern point's fire and flew around the Principle Office. Avina thought a quick prayer for the firefighters. Once they were out of sight, she helped the others carry Bob's body to the nearest ambulance.

Bob was placed behind the protection of a huge energy shield that had been set up around the ambulances. The four sprites clustered around him and watched as medics worked to staunch the energy and keep him stable.

"Does he need an energy transfusion?" Eide asked.

One of the medics nodded and looked up at her. "He's lost a lot of energy."

"All right, then take some from me," Eide said without hesitation. She rolled up her sleeve and didn't even flinch when the machine began to suck her life energy away. "Bob's a hero, and he's not going to get deleted by some meaningless Guardian," she said fiercely.

Eide gasped when the medic gently pulled the tube from her arm and handed her a bandage to put on her bicep. "Wait," she said as the paramedic was turning away, "tell the guards: There are some Guardians in the . . . in the southeastern point. They're in file-locks, so hopefully they haven't gotten away." The medic nodded and turned to leave.

"Hold on a nano, please." Countess Avina turned toward the same paramedic and ordered, "Keep me updated on all sprites who come into the hospital, injured or not. _All the sprites_, understand?"

"Yes, Your Grace," the medic replied. Avina dismissed him with a nod and a small smile, and the medic ran off to help his companions, mentally going over the various messages he had been sent off with.

"I'll be right back," the Countess told the two mercenaries, "I promise. And Bob will get help soon." With Ferias following, Avina raced back to the dirty ground outside the southern point where her guards had fallen. They were still clinging to life, she realized when she saw their bodies, but they had been mortally wounded and wouldn't survive the night.

Steeling herself, the Countess slowly walked to where the men's bodies lay and dropped to her knees between the bodies. Tears slipped down her cheeks, but her throat was too raw to let out cries. She placed a hand on each guard's chest, her fist tightening in the fabric of their uniforms. Avina's body shook with sobs, and her mouth opened in a silent cry.

"I'm so sorry," Avina whispered. "I love you both — and you're going to delete because of me."

"It is our job to protect you," the second guard assured her, "and this was the best fight of our lives." A violent cough cut off his words, and energy poured out of his throat. Avina ignored the hot energy that gushed over her hand and continued to cry for her loyal men.

"Goodbye, Your Grace," her first guard managed in a hoarse whisper, and his core-com grew fainter under her hand.

Avina touched the lips of each guard with her hands and whispered, "User give you both a peaceful processing in the afterlife."

The second guard closed his eyes, letting himself be taken from Avina's world without a fight. The other man followed, a smile on his face.

Avina's mourning was interrupted by the appearance of a young soldier, standing rigidly at attention. Avina turned to acknowledge the sprite but didn't stand.

"The Guardians have been beaten away, and they are no longer a threat," the soldier informed her. "What shall we do now, Your Grace?"

Avina replied, "Send a message to Mainframe immediately. They must know what happened."

The soldier nodded and left. Avina turned back to the corpses of her guards and let her tears fall, to strike their still expressions before their bodies shimmered and disappeared.

"There's been an attack in Azrael!" Specky cried when the news was transferred to him.

Dot's chest constricted painfully, and suddenly the air felt too heavy to breathe. Had Daemon really reached Azrael faster than they had anticipated? "Is anyone hurt?" she snapped, quickly turning crisp and businesslike.

"The Countess doesn't say," Specky replied after consulting the message. "She just says that Guardians ambushed the Principle Office about a micro ago. The worst of the fighting's over, but everyone's separated, and there are some serious injuries."

Dot's core-com fluttered in her chest. She swallowed and mentally forced down the anxiety, assuring herself that everything would turn out fine. She managed to quell her nervousness, but there was no way she would sit and listen to the results of the ambush.

"I'm going there," Dot announced.

Phong put a hand on her shoulder. "Dot, my child, have you thought this through?"

"Bob or Matrix or AndrAIa could be hurt," Dot said in a firm voice. "They need me. I know I can help them. I'm taking a ship to Azrael, and that's that."

She looked to Specky. "Specky, I need the coordinates to Azrael, _now_. Phong, you know where all the ships are situated. Take me to the docking bay." Phong lowered his head sadly but did as Dot said.

Specky handed Dot a file with the system's coordinates, and she briskly nodded her thanks. As Dot was leaving the War Room, she hesitated. "Don't tell Enzo about this," she added to the CPUs. They saluted her, and Specky called, "Yes, Sir-Ma'am!"

Mouse opened her eyes and was met with darkness from all around her. She blinked several times to adjust her vision to the dark hotel room, and she propped herself up on one arm.

From the look of things, it was a little after midnight, and Mouse had absolutely no idea why she had awoken. Then, she suddenly remembered the tugging feeling that had pulled at her consciousness since the previous evening — only a few micros ago — when she and Ethan had snapped at one another.

Mouse was curious to know and still wondered why Ethan had been out in the middle of the night. It seemed for at least four nights he had sneaked out of the cramped hotel and gone off to do some business. Mouse didn't want to assume the worst, but she had a feeling that, in their present situation, things weren't about to get any better.

Mouse crawled over to the other side of the bed and nudged the blue-skinned Guardian. "Ethan, wake up."

"Huh, wha --?" he muttered, turning over on his side to see her.

"Ethan, Ah've gotta talk to ya," Mouse whispered. The earnest look in her eyes forced Ethan to sit up. He rubbed the sleep out of his eyes and curled his arms around his knees. "Okay, shoot."

"Ethan," Mouse began slowly, "for the last couple of nights, you've been leaving this room and doin' stuff Ah don't know about. What have you been up to?"

Daemon had prepared him with a sure-fire answer: "I've been taking care of us. On the first night, I talked to the man at the hotel; I did the same last night. I also went to check out this small system we've dumped ourselves into. It's nothing to worry about, Mouse."

"What about the other nights?" Mouse prodded. "Ah've seen you go out more than three times, Ethan."

Ethan flashed a sheepish grin and admitted, "Well, I've been sleepwalking. At least, I'm pretty sure I have; it's hard to tell when you're in the middle of it." Mouse tilted her head to the side; Ethan did have an alibi — not rock-solid, yet it made some sense — but she still felt something nag at her, telling her that she shouldn't believe it.

"All right," she finally said, and Ethan nodded in satisfaction. Mouse returned to her spot and pulled the thin sheets around her. Under the cover of the sheets, she double-checked the knife she had stored in her pant leg; she trusted Ethan to an extent, but there was no way she would be basic when it came to Daemon. The super-virus would stop at nothing and pull every heartstring to get sprites to trust her, Mouse was sure.

Mouse bolted up when a shape passed by her to go to the bathroom. She relaxed upon recognizing Ethan, who grinned and shook his head before entering the small bathroom.

Ethan's smile dropped as he shut and locked the door. His hands trembled with rage, and in retaliation the veins that marked him as an infected sprite pulsed steadily. His shaking hand closed around a small glass cup. Ethan opened his mouth wide to scream, but Daemon was anticipating the action. She cut off his vocal cords, so all that left his mouth was a wheeze. She didn't control his hand, however, and he flung the glass into the mirror. It shattered, scattering shards of glass. Ethan dropped to the cold porcelain floor and hung his head. His chest heaved, but no sound escaped.

This was what he was reduced to: a mindless dummy almost completely under Daemon's control, forced to do her bidding until it deleted him — or until Daemon tired of a rebellious slave and killed him outright.

Mouse opened her eyes to darkness again. Mumbling under her breath about lost sleep, though she'd suffered much worse before, she wondered what had woken her up this time.

She sat up, raking a hand through her mussed hair, and stared around the room. A cool breeze hung over the bed, and goosebumps were raised on Mouse's arms. She glared around until she found the door hanging slightly ajar. The cold air must have slipped in through there.

Mouse flung aside the blankets, her irritation rising, and walked over to shut the door. As she turned the lock again, she frowned. _Why was the door open in the first place?_

"Oops, I did it again," Ethan whispered, his voice soft and gloomy. Mouse stopped herself from shrieking just in time and spun around. She placed her hands on her hips and glared at her companion, who was curled up in a tiny wooden chair. He hugged his arms around himself but didn't say anything more.

Mouse was about to give Ethan a piece of her mind for startling her like that when she realized that he didn't even seem aware of her presence. His eyes glowed like wet stones in the darkness, and he stared listlessly past Mouse, at something rooted in the far corners of the Web.

"What are you talking about?" Mouse hissed. She didn't like the tone in Ethan's voice; it made her nervous.

Ethan snorted softly, his eyes still focused on an unseen being. "I'm not that innocent," he whispered, and a shiver ran through him. He blinked and shook his head, and his eyes refocused on her. They were cold, but not cruel; just devoid of life. "Daemon's coming here," Ethan said softly. "She's coming for you."

The icy hand of fear gripped Mouse's core-com in a vise-like hold. She took several deep, trembling breaths. She couldn't move; she felt as if she were rooted to the ground.

"I've been contacting Daemon all these seconds," Ethan confessed, chillingly calm; he seemed not to realize the importance of what he was saying. "She told me to bring you to her, but I — but I —" His features twisted hideously for a moment, and an invisible hand all but crumpled his throat as he gasped for breath. The green veins illuminated his sickly skin, their eerie light filling the room for an brief instant.

"I said no," Ethan growled, his voice rougher and filled with more emotion than the apathetic tone he had had before. "You bitch, stop controlling me. I am not going to lose the woman I love in order for you to —" He was cut off again, but regained his strength in one burst of power. "NO!" he screamed, the sound echoing off the walls of their tiny room. Ethan slumped back in the chair, panting for breath. His eyes were narrow slits, and his chest heaved with the energy it took to fight off Daemon.

__

He was always a fighter, Mouse thought fondly.

Concerned for his safety, she started across the room towards him. As she approached, the young Guardian suddenly leapt up. He tripped over the chair but quickly regained his footing and backed away from her, his hands held in front of him. "Don't go near me! You can't — you can't see me like this."

"Ethan? Ethan, what's going on?" Mouse demanded, worried and scared and confused by the situation she didn't understand.

His body was shaking — was he crying? "I'm sorry, Mouse. User, I am so sorry. But I couldn't fight her — she's too strong. . . ." 

Mouse grabbed Ethan by the shoulders and shook him with enough force to rattle his brains. "What — is — happening?" she asked, stressing each word.

Ethan's lips trembled, but he took a quick breath and answered her, his words came as rapidly as hers had been slow. "Daemon's Guardians know we're here. They're coming here, and they're gonna capture you and infect you and —" His voice broke on a sob, but it was of his own doing. He crumpled into her arms, leaning his head on her shoulder. Mouse stared over his rumpled brown hair, realizing with shock how thin his body was as she rubbed his back comfortingly.

"User, no!" Ethan shrieked, standing upright again and shoving Mouse away. She stumbled back with the sudden force of his push and opened her mouth to speak.

Ethan pointed out the window behind Mouse. "There," he croaked. He was trembling as badly as if he had a fever virus.

Mouse turned and squinted into the darkness of 0200. The edges of system Chidis shimmered like a mirage. Just on the border, she could make out small blips of color, speedily making their way into the system. There was no doubt who was in the ships. Her mouth dropped open in shock. "Ethan, no," she whispered in disbelief.

Ethan had gained control of his shaking. His eyes were bloodshot, and the glowing veins seemed to clamp onto his temples. "Go, Mouse," he ordered hoarsely. "Go. Take your _Ship_ and get out of here."

"But — but what will you do?" Mouse asked, stunned.

Ethan swallowed thickly. "I'll stay here and meet the Guardians when they come." He placed his hands on her shoulders, and Mouse flinched. "I'm so sorry, Mouse. I — I cared a lot about you. I still do. Daemon's just . . . so powerful, and I couldn't fight her enough."

Mouse left him then. Anger — _How could he do this to her? No, it was Daemon_ — guilt — _She couldn't save Ethan, no matter how hard she had tried_ — and pure fright — _It would take a miracle to get her out of Chidis without being intercepted by the Guardians_ — were only three of the melee of emotions warring in her processor and her core-com.

Without even a goodbye to her good friend and old flame, she hurried down the twisted metal staircase to _Ship_, conveniently docked beside the hotel. Mouse glanced once at the hotel window and saw a lone, pale blue figure standing there. She quickly cast her eyes away before he looked at her, unable to look back into Ethan's eyes.

Against Dot's wishes, Enzo had heard everything. The little sprite had been walking by the War Room, coming in to visit Dot and Phong after school, when he overheard the panicked news and Dot's lightning-fast decision. He quickly ran around the corner as Dot and Phong passed by. They entered Dot's office and discussed the matter quietly, leaving the door open a crack. Enzo listened carefully to their conversation. Once he heard Dot mention the docking bay, he quietly rushed off.

There was a small cargo ship already set up. It was big enough to carry six passengers, but it was also small and swift. 

Enzo ducked down to go into the hatch when he heard Tessa call his name. He stiffened and slowly raised his head, but he didn't turn around.

"I know where you're going," he heard her say in a soft voice. "You have to go to Azrael, to help as you can." She sniffled. "But I will miss you, Enzo."

"Tessa . . ." Enzo started. He turned around and stopped short, his jaw dropping before he was conscious of the movement. The girl who stood before him was a stranger, a sprite he had never seen before. Her skin sparkled gold, and her long, thick hair was maroon with streaks of dark teal. She approached him, and Enzo wondered whether to move back, but he was frozen in place. Finally, she stood before him, and he found himself staring into violet eyes — _his_ eyes.

"T — Tessa?" Enzo stammered.

"Yes, it's me," she replied. Her voice carried the same inflection he had always heard when she spoke, and there was no doubt in Enzo's mind that it was she. But how?

Enzo tentatively reached out a hand and let his fingers sift through her hair. He touched her cheek, amazed at the pale golden color of her skin. "What happened?" he asked in a whisper.

Tessa's hand came up to cover his. "I am one of Daemon's Children, yes. I am only now realizing what it is I do as one of her Children."

"Tessa, you're not —" Enzo started to argue.

"I'm not under Daemon's control," Tessa finished, "but I did take this . . . gift, you could say, from her. I used to be dull and unoriginal, yes?"

A bald, gray-skinned girl was actually rather original, Enzo thought, but he nodded, listening intently.

"When I was a baby, you all held me or touched me. When you did, I absorbed some of your code. Then I grew an hour every second, until Mouse stopped me and kept me at this age. Once my age had been set, all the codes I had taken — yours and your friends' — it mixed together and gave me this appearance." Tessa sounded as wise as Phong until she shrugged and let a half-smile appear on her face, actually looking even more like the old sprite.

"How do you know all this?" Enzo asked. His head was beginning to ache with everything going on all at once. He willed his mind to receive Tessa's information while reminding himself that he had to get to Azrael to help Bob and Dot.

"It all just appeared in my head when I changed," Tessa replied. "Suddenly, I understood everything."

Enzo was shocked, and ashamed, too. Again he received the jolting realization that Tessa was older than he, and she sometimes seemed to have more knowledge.

The current situation presented itself in Enzo's mind again, and he knew it was more important. He sighed and held Tessa's hand tighter. "Tessa, I have to go now." His eyes begged her to understand. "Someone could be hurt, or —"

"I understand," Tessa answered, and she was telling the truth. She threw her arms around Enzo in a hug and gave him a peck on the cheek. "Come back to me," she whispered, and Enzo felt his core-com skip a beat or two.

He hugged her back, smelling in the sweet scent of her long hair. "I promise," he responded. Feeling his cheeks burn, he awkwardly disentangled himself from Tessa.

"Hurry, now," the little girl urged, and she disappeared in a shower of bright sparks. Enzo didn't waste another nano. He climbed into the cargo ship and hurried to the back. He found a space between boxes where he could squeeze, but first he stood up on his toes and peered out the window.

The sharp clicking of heels and whir of mechanics signaled Dot and Phong's approach. Enzo watched from his hiding place as Phong presented the ship to Dot.

"Perfect," Dot said briskly, giving the ship a quick once-over. "Thank you, Phong." The former Command.com helped Dot into the ship, clinging to her hand for several moments.

"My child, be careful," Phong cautioned. "Mainframe cannot afford to lose another leader."

"We're not going to lose _anyone_," Dot said, her voice fiercely strong and her eyes bright. She squeezed Phong's hand, then let go and settled down in the pilot's seat. The hull slid over the ship and closed with a click.

Enzo pressed himself between two boxes and hunched down. Hopefully, Dot wouldn't check the back of the ship. 

Soon he could hear the engines' rumble as Dot powered up the ship. They lifted smoothly and began the ascension toward Mainframe's border. There was a slight bump as the ship opened onto the Web, but Dot took control of that, and they went on smoothly.

Enzo waited until they were flying steadily before he pushed himself up out of his hiding place. His elbow bumped a box, and it struck the floor, making Enzo jump. He waited, holding his breath, seeing if Dot had heard the noise and would come back.

Nothing happened for almost a millisecond, and Enzo relaxed.

Then a hand clamped over his mouth. Enzo jumped in fear and fought his captor, but the sprite held him hard.

"Shut up," a voice hissed in his ear that he recognized as Kode's. The sprite let him go. Enzo turned back to him and saw that the ocher-skinned sprite crouched behind him.

"What are you doing here?" Enzo whispered.

"Same as you — sneaking to Azrael to find out about the attack." Kode's gaze was fixed on the door leading to the front of the ship.

"I'm going to see Bob," Enzo answered defensively. "You don't have to be here. And anyway, what would Dot say if she saw you here?"

Kode grabbed the boy's arm, holding Enzo back. "Listen, kid," he hissed, his voice low and menacing, "you make a noise, and your sister will know you're here, too. So, _shut up_.

"Now, be a good little boy and stay right here," he sneered, pushing Enzo against a crate. He disappeared through another compartment.

Enzo hugged his arms around his knees and took a deep breath, his core-com thudding in his ears. He couldn't stop Kode now. The sprite would just have his way, it seemed. AndrAIa was right — that guy was a jerk who insinuated himself into any situation.

Fears began to creep into Enzo's mind. What if Bob had been hurt? Or AndrAIa, or even Matrix? Would they be all right? What good would a little sprite like him be to anyone?

Enzo buried his head in his knees and sat through the trip, accompanied only by his fears and silence.

Azrael's citizens watched fearfully from their homes as the magnificent Principle Office burned throughout the night. Firefighters and paramedics worked to bring out victims and place them in the ambulance. Most of the Azraelians had been in their homes that late at night, but any and all guards had entered the Principle Office, fighting off the Guardians. Now, the friends and family of the soldiers feared for the lives of those they loved and cursed the User for making them wait for such awful news.

The eastern point of the Principle Office had been demolished the most. While firefighters drenched the hungry flames with data, others rushed in and out, smoke filling their lungs, darting fire that reached out to find another victim.

Deep inside the east section, a group of CPUs had been almost completely buried under rubble. The firefighters worked to move away the huge chunks of plaster that covered the group. When they finally succeeded, the taste of triumph was sour in their mouths. Most of the binomes who had been crushed had already been deleted; only their icons, chipped and dull, remained.

A tall firefighter — a sprite rather than a binome — shoved aside debris to uncover AndrAIa's body. The Game sprite lay on her side, covered with dust and dirt. Gouges were slashed across her arms and stomach, and energy bled from a severe wound at the back of her head. She still gripped her trident in her right hand.

While his companions carried away the remaining binomes, the sprite gently lifted AndrAIa's body, taking care not to jostle her head. Shielding her with his jacket, he retraced his steps through the overheated chamber and carried AndrAIa outside to the ambulance. He laid her on a stretcher and transferred her to some medics. They set AndrAIa inside the ambulance with the other victims, including the meager number of CPUs that had been with her.

One paramedic closed the doors to the ambulance and slapped his hand against the side of the vehicle, calling, "We're good to go!" The ambulance drove toward the hospital, at the other side of the city, its red and blue lights flashing wildly.

Things didn't look good when Dot arrived in Azrael. From her height in the air, she could see houses and buildings with blast marks on their walls, and deep holes in the streets from explosions. 

The star-shaped Principle Office had lost one of its pointed segments, and Dot could see the gold dots that must be CPUs rushing to another point and setting up investigations.

She wondered how things were on the ground. Dot knew the destruction and deletion would be worse close up.

She landed her ship easily. Once she had turned all the controls off, she jumped out and ran to the Principle Office. She passed bodies on the ground, a few moving but most stilled. There was also the occasional sight of one or more Guardians fighting against a stasis field, their weapons of no use. Dot forced herself to keep running towards the open doors of Azrael's P.O. Maybe there was someone left who could tell her what happened, or lead her to the others —

"Oh, Dot!" A weary, indigo-haired teenager ran toward her, waving while trying to load a gun. Dot stared in disbelief at the rumpled, dirty Countess. She almost didn't believe it was Avina until she saw the nearly transparent form of her bodyguard. "Your Grace —" she started.

The Countess reached her and blurted out, "Oh, Dot, there was an attack — we, we never thought, we never knew that they could get through —"

Dot grasped her shoulders. "Is everyone all right?"

"No!" The Countess backed away, shaking her head. "I'm sorry — your, your — Bob, Guardian Bob . . . _he was shot_."

"No," Dot gasped sharply, as if her breath had been jerked out of her throat. "Bob — no . . ." She swayed on her feet, and Avina dropped her gun and let the older woman lean on her. She squeezed her eyes shut as she heard Dot mutter the Guardian's name again.

Dot straightened up quickly. "Where is he?" she cried, her scared mind automatically assuming the worst.

"Come on," the Countess said grimly. She and Dot ran to the fourth sector, where medics were carrying bodies into an ambulance.

Dot cried out when she saw the prone form of Bob lying on a stretcher, a huge bandage covering his stomach. Her breathing started to increase with panic, and she ran to the ambulance without thinking.

"Ma'am, we can't have you —" the medic started.

"I'm Command.com of system Mainframe, and a close friend of Bob," Dot snapped. "Let me stay with him."

The medic swallowed and glanced uncertainly at her. Avina spoke up, "Do as she says, sir."

The binome's eyes widened at the order from the Countess, and he said, "Yes, Your Grace. Ma'am, get in here."

After they had loaded Bob, Dot sat beside him and clutched his hand. It made her stomach churn to feel his skin so cold. She rubbed his hand fervently, in an attempt to warm it.

For a full millisecond, the ambulance didn't move. Finally, Dot raised herself and scowled at the driver. "Why aren't we moving?" she asked sharply.

"The — the road is blocked, ma'am," he tried to reply, but Dot glared daggers at him.

"We have to get going," she said. "My friend could lose his life!"

CPUs worked to push debris aside. When the road was finally clear, the driver slammed down on the gas, and they sped for the hospital.

Dot studied Bob's face closely. He was breathing shallowly, and his skin looked paler. "I can't lose you now, Bob," she whispered, still clutching his hand.

They reached the hospital, and the medics rushed to the back to carry Bob out. Dot ran after them, but once inside, a guard stopped her. "Only professional doctors beyond this point, ma'am," he said.

"But —" Dot started, as she helplessly watched Bob be carried off.

"He'll be all right, Dot," Avina said. Somehow the Countess and her bodyguard had appeared beside her. "None of us can get any farther; besides, you should see the others."

Dot's core-com was fluttering, and she barely heard the younger woman's words. But she tore her eyes away from Bob and nodded shakily.

Avina took Dot by the arm and led her off. Dot swallowed a sob as the medics and Bob rounded a corner, and she couldn't see them anymore.

"I'm sorry, Dot," Avina whispered, and hugged her.

Dot pulled back and managed a grateful smile at the Countess. Suddenly, a new fear rose in her chest. "How is everybody else?" she asked.

The Countess frowned as she thought. "The three mercenaries are all right; they suffered some minor injuries, but nothing as serious as Bob. We haven't heard anything from Matrix since we all split up. AndrAIa was found unconscious over there." She pointed with her gun at the destroyed section of the Principle Office. "She's all right; she's in the hospital right now."

"And your people?" Dot asked.

Avina swallowed and looked back at her "shadow," who quietly replied something. She turned back to Dot and answered, "We lost a lot of sprites; mostly CPUs, our armed forces. I also lost two of my most trusted guards." She wiped her eye in a motion so subtle that Dot almost missed it, had she not been used to doing the same as commander in the war for Mainframe.

She put a hand on the Countess' shoulder. "I'm so sorry, Your Grace," she said.

The Countess looked up at her and tried to smile. "Please, no title," she begged. "Call me Avina — no, Avi."

"All right, Avi," Dot said with a small smile that she was afraid was quivering. "Again, I am so sorry. Daemon's troops came because Bob and Matrix were here. We forced this on you."

Avi shook her head. "No, you didn't. They were after me in the beginning. I guess we're all unlucky."

"I need to go," Dot said apologetically. "I'd like to check up on AndrAIa."

Avi nodded. "All right. We've got to still bring people to the hospital anyway. Ferias can show you the way." Her bodyguard looked ready to object, but Avi shot her a look, and Ferias relented to guide Dot around the hospital.

Ferias showed Dot to the emergency wing, then left without a sound. Dot could see that she clearly wanted to get back to her job of shadowing Avi, and she said nothing. 

She went to the front desk and asked about her friends, but the secretary didn't understand.

"We don't have any names listed here," she explained. "They were all just brought in after the attack."

"Have you brought in a green-skinned sprite, big, with a gold eye?" Dot asked. The woman checked and shook her head. "Well, do you have a young woman with long blue hair and orange skin listed?" As the secretary looked, Dot added, "She has fins on her arms."

"Here we go," the secretary said, her finger resting on a piece of information. "She's on the third floor, in Room 108."

Dot thanked the secretary and went to the elevator. When she reached the second floor, she noticed some nurses milling about from room to room. Obviously, the hospital was understaffed for all the injured sprites and binomes from the attack.

She reached Room 108 and knocked on the door. In a nano, a voice answered, "Come in." The voice was familiar, but there was something wrong with it. It held twinges of other emotions; Dot thought she heard puzzlement.

She pushed open the door. AndrAIa sat on a hospital bed, with some bandages over a few cuts on her arms and stomach. A large white bandage was wrapped around her head and stained with energy. She looked over when Dot came in, but her eyes were clouded.

"AndrAIa!" Dot cried, running to the game sprite. She bent beside her and took her hands in hers. "How are you? What happened?"

It took AndrAIa several moments to focus on Dot. She said, "I don't know what happened." Dot figured she was still in shock from the head injury. She would have to find out how serious it had been.

AndrAIa blinked slowly and continued. "In fact, I don't know where I am. I don't know _who_ I am. Who are you?"

Dot nearly dropped her hands in shock. _No!_ "You're AndrAIa," she said, hoping it was just the trauma that made her forget. "This is system Azrael. Don't you remember? You came here with Bob and Matrix to protect the Countess! Don't you remember?"

AndrAIa frowned. "What are you talking about? I don't know anything of what you're talking about." Her gaze abruptly switched from confused to thoughtful. "The last thing I remember is coming out of my Game to be with a boy. . . ."

"Oh, User above," Dot whispered. This was the most horrible thing that could happen to them — and now, when Bob was barely hanging on to his life!

"Miss Matrix." One of Azrael's CPUs stood at the door. "Countess Avina wanted to tell you that Guardian Bob is going into surgery now."

"Thank you," Dot said shakily. With a nod, the CPU left.

She looked back to AndrAIa, who was listening with a confused look on her face. "I'm sorry, AndrAIa, but I need to go be with a friend. Can we talk in a little while?"

The game sprite nodded. "All right . . . what was your name?"

"Dot," she said, shaking AndrAIa's hand as if they were meeting for the first time. "Dot Matrix. Now get some rest." AndrAIa obediently lay down on the hospital bed and closed her eyes as Dot ran out the door.

She reached Avina, standing in front of a large window as Bob was being wheeled by on his stretcher. She turned around as Dot approached. "He's just about to go," she explained.

Dot looked to the unconscious form of Bob, now in a white hospital gown. His icon was absent from his chest; Dot realized without really thinking that they had taken it for the surgery. She shut her eyes, but not tight enough to stop tears from leaking out under her eyelids.

She opened her eyes and watched as if in slow motion, as Bob, unconscious, was rolled into the operating room, with doctors and medical assistants rushing past him and talking to one another over the clutter of activity.

Suddenly, the world around her speeded up again.

"Stay frosty, Bob," Dot whispered as he was wheeled into the OR. The doors shut behind him with an ominous thud.


	19. 9: Mad Season

CHAPTER NINE

MAD SEASON

****

Author's Note: Yes, the title of this chapter is from the Matchbox 20 song. Listen to "Mad Season," because it helps describe the chapter, especially from Matrix's point of view.

__

"NO!"

Mouse gripped the arms of her chair so hard that her fingernails dug into the leather. Her head was flung back as tears streamed down her cheeks and she screamed. There was no meaning to her scream, just a long wail of anger and fright, much resembling a wild animal's ferocity when a loved one is killed.

She doubled over, taking deep gulps of air. Though she still clutched the sides of her chair, she could feel her body tremble.

She freed one hand and wiped the tears away from her face as well as to tuck some hair behind one ear. "How is he?" she asked in a hoarse voice.

On the other side of the comm. channel, Dot was momentarily silent. She had never seen Mouse break down in emotion, but the act she had just witnessed made her core-com ache fiercely for her friend.

"He's in surgery right now," Dot answered softly. She glanced at the clock; it read 0300. "He's going to be in for eight more micros. I'll call back soon." 

Mouse wiped her eyes again. "Ah just wish Ah could be there —" she started.

Dot wished she could smile, but it felt like her face muscles had frozen. She swallowed hard and said, "Avi — Countess Avina — says that her doctors are the best for the next five systems. They'll keep Bob alive." What an awful thing, to think ahead to the sad but entirely possible situation that Bob might not survive.

"Take care, Dot," Mouse said. She pressed her hand against the screen.

Dot did the same. "Thank you, Mouse," she whispered.

She waited for the hacker's face to disappear from the screen before Dot curled up in her chair and wept loudly, safe in the confines of an office where no one could reach her.

As the connection broke, Mouse leaned back in her chair and finished crying softly. She had just escaped from Chidis less than a microsecond ago. . . .

__

Grimly gripping Ship's_ controls, Mouse took a last, quick glance at the primitive system before launching _Ship_ into the air. She didn't expect to make it past the Guardian transports already popping into the system, but the User's good grace was with her, as she would soon find. She circled around Chidis, thankful that _Ship_ blended in easily with the midnight sky, and found the perfect spot to pause and inspect the Guardians. They were landing around the hotel where she and Ethan had been staying. . . . Mouse clamped her lips tightly together and shook her hair out of her face, as if to defiantly tell Daemon that she had remained uninfected, and Ethan was the one who had saved her._

The Guardians couldn't see her. To be safe — I haven't been so worried about safety for a long time,_ Mouse realized. _Then again, I haven't had bloodthirsty Guardians on my track for awhile, either._ — Mouse checked again; the Guardians were leaving their ships to go inside the shabby hotel. None of them looked toward the black, rippling data sea._

Mouse sent all her power to the engines and gripped the throttle. Ship_ blasted off at a record speed for the edge of Chidis. The thin line of the atmosphere that separated the system from the chill of the Web was visible up ahead. Mouse increased her speed, not daring to look back; she kept her eyes ahead, focusing her gaze on Chidis' system limits. _Ship_ broke through the protective portal around Chidis and sped through the Web. Mouse hadn't seen any Guardian transports since then._

Now there was another disaster. Their lives were slowly breaking down; why not add such a chilling event to the mix?

What was Mouse supposed to do now? She was torn between what she wanted more than anything to do and what she knew was right and would keep her and her loved ones processing. Not only was Ray in immediate danger — now Bob could delete and she wouldn't be there. The thought made her stomach clench, but she knew there was no way she could make it back to Azrael. She had to save Ray.

"Ah don't understand," she whispered to the air. "Who would be so low as to do this?"

Matrix ducked back down as another squad of Azrael's CPUs streaked by. He waited until he was sure they had left before he cautiously stepped out from behind his temporary hiding place, the back of a restaurant that had been shot up by the Guardians.

He had no idea how long it had been since the ambush. From the slowly growing amount of guards coming from the Principle Office and the few subtle streaks of color that had begun to appear in the navy blue sky, he could guess that it had been a few microseconds.

He didn't know what he would do when more searches would occur. The CPUs were combing the sectors for any survivors or injured sprites. Matrix wasn't too tired, and he knew he could escape the CPUs if they came for him; he was still running on the adrenaline from the attack.

__

What is wrong with you? he raged at himself for the thousandth time. He'd used every word he could think of to criticize himself: stupid, reckless, random, careless — 

__

How could I do that? I didn't even think he was there!

That's right — you never think. You're hopeless. The Games took all of Enzo out of you. Everyone's better off with the copy anyway.

He had wanted to talk to Bob about Enzo, back when they were working through war preparations in Mainframe. But he had lost the chance, and now it looked like he would never be able to confess his anxieties over the drastic differences between him and his carbon copy. Bob could be deleted right now, because of the bullet from _his_ Gun. The thought made Matrix sick. He had shot at his hero! He was low. Low and degraded.

Something burned at his eyes, making his head ache. Matrix felt his cheek and realized that a tear had slipped from his eye. His whole head hurt, from the stinging in his eyes to a dull ache in his temples. He clenched his fist, but it still shook in anger.

A growl built in his throat. Without warning, he punched the brick wall beside him and was rewarded with the sound of a loud crack. Matrix swore and pulled his hand back, immediately regretting his action to let his anger out. His bruised hand throbbed in pain, but it wasn't broken.

A CPU was hovering over another shop nearby. Hearing the noise, it turned a searchlight toward the renegade, but Matrix ducked out of the way. He waited breathlessly until the binome decided that there was nothing there and turned the light another way.

Matrix sighed in relief and mentally rebuked himself. He had almost gotten caught. He would have to be much more quiet.

He glanced up at the lightening sky and decided that he would have only a few micros left of dark cover until he had to find somewhere to stay.

Matrix silently sneaked around the edge of the restaurant with practiced ease. His gaze darted around until he was sure the coast was clear, then he sprinted to an alleyway between two buildings.

As he let his eyes adjust to the darkness, he scanned ahead of him with his cybernetic eye for any unwanted visitors. The motion made him think of his treacherous act, and he felt a wave of nausea. His lip trembled, but Matrix took a deep breath through his nose, drove the thoughts out of his mind, and decided that he would meet whoever might come to him.

As he cautiously stepped forward, he felt someone's eyes on him. Matrix spun around with a soft cry, ready to attack, but it turned to one of surprise when he saw the thin form of Kode.

"What are _you_ doing here?" Matrix growled.

Kode swaggered toward the larger sprite, his eyes bright and a cocky grin on his face. "When I heard about the attack, I had to come to see how it all turned out — especially _your_ part in all this."

Matrix's eyes widened. "How did you know about that?" If everyone knew, he was as good as deleted.

"I heard it all," Kode replied. "About poor AndrAIa, too." Matrix opened his mouth to demand what Kode meant, but he never got the chance.

"I figured Andi would need some emotional support," Kode continued.

Matrix's cybernetic eye glowed red in outrage. "Don't you lay a finger on her," he hissed.

"And how would you stop me?" Kode smirked. "I bet they'd all arrest the random sprite — the _murderer_ — before actually _listening_ to you."

Matrix yanked Gun out of its holster and shot at him. Kode jerked to the side, then tugged the weapon out of his grip and held it with an eerie calm. Matrix backed away, his core-com hammering. The look in Kode's eyes gave him a feeling worse than the jaggies.

Kode grinned and said, "Couldn't delete me when you had the chance; can't delete me now, either. You always fail — Boy."

Matrix flinched at the word, then frowned in puzzlement. He leapt forward and wrenched Gun from the other sprite's grip. 

Kode drew his fist back and punched Matrix in the face. Surprisingly, the punch knocked the large sprite to the ground.

Kode gave him another leer and left, humming a low tune to himself. Matrix watched his retreating figure, fury making his face grow hot. He groaned, but he couldn't get up. He may have still had adrenaline in his veins, but his processor was tiring with all this information. How had Kode gotten here? What had happened to AndrAIa? Without a second thought, Matrix would delete anyone who touched his lover.

Enzo Matrix shuddered. _Deletion_. He'd experienced it more times than he would ever have liked to remember in the Games. Those had been tough hours, when he had won and lost meaningless Games as a way to survive. He had killed viruses who terrorized systems, but he had also caused the deaths of innocent sprites and binomes.

__

It's not my fault, he wanted to shout. _It wasn't my fault those times happened. It's all in the past; it can't hurt me now._

But it looked like some of the horrors from his past — namely, one very irritating orange sprite — had returned to bite him in the ASCII.

It was a few nanos later before he was able to push himself up. Matrix leaned heavily against a wall, breathing hard. His aching hand tightened around Gun as he closed his eyes and tried to force the horrible reality of the situation from his mind.

Enzo had never in his life seen so much suffering. He didn't remember anything from the war against Megabyte — that was all in Matrix's memories, not his — but the first ten milliseconds he spent in Azrael were enough for him. The sight of deleted bodies on the streets and the devastation and sometimes obliteration of the buildings around him sent shivers up the young sprite's spine. Nevertheless, he was set on finding Bob and the others, and that dedication outweighed his fright at the system's destruction — but just barely.

Enzo was able to sneak past the squads of CPUs milling around the Principle Office without being noticed. He ducked between ambulances as injured sprites and binomes were loaded into them and sent to the hospital. The little sprite checked around for the blue-and-silver form of Bob, but his hero was nowhere to be seen. He began to grow nervous.

__

I bet Bob's at the hospital, helping the injured sprites, he thought. Satisfied, he approached the nearest medic and asked, "Where's the hospital?"

The binome gazed thoughtfully at the little boy. "Funny, I haven't seen you around recently," he said. But he had work to do, so he pushed aside the comment. He pointed to the north. "The hospital is there."

Enzo grinned. "Alphanumeric! Thanks." Without a word, he zipped over the way the medic had pointed.

He wove between the full ambulances parked outside the hospital and entered through the huge doors. Enzo checked around him for any sign of Bob, Dot, or the others, but he saw no one he recognized.

Finally, he went up to the front desk. The secretary, a kindly looking female binome, smiled down at him over her glasses. "Hello, little boy," she said. "Who are you looking for?"

Enzo swallowed, trying to contain his nervousness. "Yes. I mean, I'm looking for Guardian Bob. Is he here, maybe helping some sprites?"

The secretary consulted her organizer while Enzo waited anxiously. Finally she looked back up and said, "Guardian Bob is listed on the second floor."

"Thanks," Enzo said. ". . . Hey, what's on the second floor anyway?"

The secretary looked again at the organizer then back at Enzo, and her expression changed to one of shock. "Oh, dear! That's where the operating rooms are. It says here that Bob is in surgery right now."

Enzo's core-com skipped several beats. "What?" he whispered. "Wait, wait," he said loudly, "is he okay? What happened?"

"Specific injuries aren't listed," the secretary said as she glanced back at her organizer. "But I believe he was . . . Oh, dear, he was the sprite who was shot in the Principle Office during the ambush."

Enzo turned and ran to the elevator. He slapped the "up" button repeatedly, but it moved too slowly. He ran to the stairs and took them in leaps, two at a time. He was breathing hard by the time he reached the second floor, but it meant nothing to him. His brain was still trying to register what he had been told.

__

It's not true! Bob's the greatest Guardian there is. He couldn't get shot. He couldn't, he couldn't, he couldn't! It didn't process.

Enzo flung himself around the corner, his breath coming raggedly. Right in front of him were the large doors of the OR. Through the window he could make out the green-clad doctors and a head of spiky silver hair.

"No!" he screamed, but he was cut short by a gasp from his sobs. Enzo could barely breathe, he was crying so hard. Every head turned to look at him, but he didn't notice. He rushed to the nearest nurse and demanded, "Let me in! Let me in to see Bob!"

The nurse put her hands on the hysterical youth's shoulders and tried to calm him down. "Little boy —"

"Let me see him!" Enzo yelled.

The nurse looked to the OR and turned a sympathetic eye on Enzo. "Oh! I'm so sorry, dear. But you can't get in right now. You can visit him when the surgery is over, at 1100."

"No, no, I want to see him now!" Enzo wailed, flailing to get past her. He finally slumped to the ground, his energy drained from crying. "Bob," he sobbed quietly, then he screamed again, "BOB!"

Dot had spent the last half a micro with AndrAIa, trying to make the game sprite remember her life. She had talked with one of Azrael's staff of talented doctors, who had been able to scan AndrAIa's head and make a verdict.

The time it took a victim to recall past memories varied, unfortunately. AndrAIa had hit her head hard in the ambush, the doctor had told Dot, and it was likely to take her a while to remember her home and the sprites she loved. The doctor hadn't had the time to make very detailed tests, but he had determined a few small yet helpful facts. While AndrAIa could remember nothing of her time in the Games with Matrix, or the battle for Mainframe, she confessed to recalling bits and pieces, the most prominent being memories from her time in the Games, before she met Little Enzo. 

The doctor told Dot this in hushed whispers, and she glanced twice at the young Game sprite. AndrAIa wasn't even listening, however; she twisted her hands in her lap and stared outside at the Principle Office, as the last of the fires were extinguished by Azrael's hard-working firefighters. She had no idea that she had nearly been deleted in the largest of those fires; there was no reason she needed to know.

"I'm sorry, ma'am, but they're bringing in some more victims from the ambush. They've all been injured close to deletion, and I must be seeing them now." The doctor tried to keep his words polite, and Dot knew that there were others who had suffered many more injuries than AndrAIa. She nodded in reluctant agreement, and the kindly doctor apologized and hurried toward the next floor. After the doctor left, Dot informed AndrAIa that she was going to take a short walk and would be back in fifteen micros. AndrAIa nodded and smiled with the long-lost innocence she had had as a child but had lost in the Games.

Dot sighed unhappily at the thought of that conversation and forced it out of her mind for the nano. There was too much to think about already, the worst being a sad, scared thought: _Will Bob survive the night?_

She walked past patients who sat with their families, and she felt a twinge of pain for Bob. She couldn't wait until the surgery was over and she could be by his side again.

She needed to go by the OR again, if only to ensure herself that Bob was in safe hands. As Dot rounded the corner on the second floor, she heard strangled shouts coming from the front of the operating room. She quickened into a run.

"BOB!" she heard someone scream, followed by soft, choked whimpers. Dot rushed over to where a nurse stood with a small green-skinned figure. She stopped in her tracks, as her breath caught in her throat. "Enzo?" she asked quietly. "Enzo!"

"Dot!" he shouted, flinging himself into her arms and bawling into her side. Dot was here, she would make things all right, he thought at first with his usual faith. Then a darker thought overshadowed his first: _Dot can't save Bob. Only the doctors can._ He sobbed harder, wishing that he could feel safe but instead feeling completely alienated.

"Oh, Enzo," she whispered, stroking his hair. "I'm so sorry."

He pulled back to look at her. His eyes were red and wild from crying, and dirty tearstains ran down his cheeks. "How could this happen to Bob? He _can't_ be shot, he _can't_!"

"I know, Enzo," Dot whispered, her voice shaking. "It's horrible. But Bob's going to be okay, he will —"

"Why aren't you crying?" Enzo demanded.

"I _am_!" Dot replied, her voice cracking. Against her will, her resolve broke and tears ran down her face. She squeezed Enzo close as he wrapped his arms around her waist, and together the Matrix siblings cried outside the operating room.

Dot finally pulled away and knelt before her brother. With shock, she noticed that when she did so, he wasn't as small as he used to be. Enzo had grown a little bit, and when she knelt, he was eye-level with her.

"There's no use in standing out here for eight micros," Dot said. "Bob wouldn't want us to be sobbing over him for that long, anyway. I think AndrAIa could use a visitor."

Enzo nodded, and they started to walk off. The nurse caught Enzo's arm and murmured a word of comfort to him. He smiled shakily and let Dot lead him off.

They took the elevator to the third floor. As they walked down the hall toward Room 108, Enzo asked, "How is AndrAIa? Was she hurt?"

"Sort of," Dot answered. "You see, Enzo, she hit her head, and she has amnesia. Meaning, she doesn't really remember anything but bits and pieces. So she might not know you when you walk in."

Enzo nodded, but he looked frightened out of his young wits.

"It would be really good for her if she had someone she could connect to her past," Dot encouraged.

"Okay," Enzo said haltingly. "Anything to help AndrAIa."

Dot knocked on the door, and again she heard, "Come in." She came into the room; after a moment's hesitation, Enzo followed.

AndrAIa sat in a chair beside the bed, reading a data file. She looked up and smiled at Dot. "Hi Dot."

"Hey, AndrAIa," she said with a smile. "How are you feeling?"

"My head still hurts," AndrAIa answered, frowning slightly. Her eyes lost their focus for a moment.

Dot leaned forward eagerly. "Do you remember something?" she asked.

AndrAIa shook her head, and her gaze returned to Dot. "Nope," she sighed. She looked past Dot and saw Enzo, and her expression immediately brightened. "You're that boy," she said with a dreamy smile. "You're the boy that I met in my Game."

Enzo swallowed hard and glanced nervously at Dot, then at AndrAIa. He stepped forward cautiously and said in a soft voice, "Uh, yeah. My name's Enzo."

"I'm AndrAIa," she said cheerfully. Enzo shuddered despite himself, then hoped AndrAIa didn't notice. But she was already staring over his head at something rooted in the deep corners of her processor.

It was sick. Absolutely horrifying, that the normally clear-headed Game sprite was lost in the depths of her own foggy memories. She couldn't even remember his name, for User's sake! He was supposed to be her true love — okay, so Matrix was AndrAIa's true love, but his name was Enzo too! Enzo shivered again but took her hand in his, and AndrAIa smiled down at him, her eyes still taken with a blank look. She didn't understand what was going on, but as long as there was someone to take care of her — like the nice woman Dot, or the adorable little boy Enzo — she would be all right.

Finally, 1100 came. Dot waited silently outside the operating room. Enzo was sitting in a chair next to her, swinging his legs aimlessly and reading a data file. 

Dot had discussed with Avina and the head of security how they would help the citizens of Azrael recover from the ambush; she left Enzo with AndrAIa, in Room 108. Dot had returned to the hospital to take AndrAIa back to the apartment she had lived in before the ambush. Since Dot had found no way in which to jog AndrAIa's mind, she was hoping that something from before the ambush could rekindle AndrAIa's memories. Dot had come back to the hospital, and she and Enzo went to the second floor to wait out the last awful millisecond before Bob would be released from the OR.

Dot and Enzo had come to the second floor, trailed by one of the newly promoted guards from Avi's sub-circle of security; Dot had noted him following her around for the last few micros, and she decided to accept the protection, even if she could take care of herself. She had considered sending Enzo away, worried that he would crash if something were to go wrong with Bob's surgery, but her brother insisted on accompanying her. There was no one else who could be spared to watch Enzo, anyway, so Dot had no choice but to allow him to come with her.

She hadn't talked much with the mercenaries since the ambush, because they were helping Azrael as well as they could. Dot also briefly wondered where Stripe was. The Protector hadn't appeared since Dot had last been in Mainframe, but somehow Dot knew that the silent woman was around her.

Dot couldn't see anything through the glass; it was the fifth time she had rushed to the window in the hope of catching a glimpse of Bob. She was usually a patient sprite, but having to wait to find out Bob's fate was slowly driving her random. 

She reluctantly returned to her chair by the doors of the OR. Other sprites and binomes sat next to her, also awaiting news of their loved ones. Dot mentally berated herself for momentarily forgetting that she wasn't the only one experiencing an agonizing wait for news.

Dot gazed at a female sprite sitting next to her. The woman, several hours older than her and with lime green hair that had the same static nature as Mouse's, was watching the OR's doors. She tried to look calm, but the rigid set of her body betrayed her own worry. She noticed Dot staring at her, and she straightened up self-consciously, with an embarrassed glance at Dot.

"Oh, no, I'm sorry," Dot hastily apologized. Trying to make up, she added, "I know how you feel."

The woman slowly smiled at her. "Someone you love has been injured?"

Dot nodded. "Yes. He's in surgery right now. I'm waiting for news."

The woman clasped her hand over Dot's. "I'm so sorry. Was it serious?"

Dot swallowed thickly. "I — I'm afraid it might be. I'm not entirely sure. You see, he was shot."

The woman's eyes widened. "Oh! I'm so sorry." She looked down for a moment. Then her gaze returned to Dot's, and she said, "I'm waiting for my brother. He was also shot." She said the words haltingly. Dot thought, _She probably feels the way I do — maybe if I don't think about it, it won't be true. But it is._

She wrapped both her hands around the woman's. "I guess we're both in the same situation."

"Seems so." Her new friend gave a small sniffle. "He's my little brother, you know. Only a couple of hours, but I feel like I need to look out for him."

The woman's comment made Dot think of Enzo — and Matrix. For the first time since she had heard of Bob's condition, she wondered where her other brother was. She realized that he was the only one she hadn't heard any news from, and she felt a little shiver of anxiety.

"What about him?" the woman asked with a nod to the OR.

Dot realized she was talking about Bob. "He's my — I'm not exactly sure. We just started dating."

The woman gave her a warm smile and tightened her grip on Dot's hands. "We can only pray, then."

"You're right." Dot felt the slight burning in the corners of her eyes, and she ducked her head for a moment.

A sprite wearing blue scrubs came out of the OR then, a surgical mask hanging around his neck. "Miss Matrix!" 

Dot jumped out of her seat, her throat tight. The doctor held his hand out to her. "My name is Dr. Qwerty. Please come with me." Dot nodded and started to follow him.

"Good luck," the woman called.

Dot looked back and smiled gratefully. "Thank you. You too." The woman smiled sadly and nodded.

Dot and Dr. Qwerty walked through the doors of the OR. "Is he all right?" she blurted out.

Dr. Qwerty smiled. "Yes, he's fine now. He made it through the surgery easily, thank the User.

"I'm sorry, but you can't see him right now," he said answering Dot's next question. Seeing her face fall, he put a sympathetic hand on her shoulder. "Bob just came out of surgery five milliseconds ago. He needs to rest. But I promise that the nano he's ready for visitors, I'll send you in."

Dot nodded reluctantly, knowing that she could only agree with Dr. Qwerty and do what he said.

"Is that all you wanted to tell me?" she asked. Dot wasn't particularly happy that she would have to wait even longer to see Bob, and she just wanted to be away from the hospital, away from all the pain and suffering that had become a large part of her life.

"No, there's something else," Dr. Qwerty answered. "I have something that I think you'll find great interest in." Her interest perked, Dot followed him to a room whose walls were covered with charts of the sprite body and medical forms.

Dr. Qwerty held up a plastic bag with a small, shiny object in it. Dot leaned close and was shocked to see that it was a bullet.

"When we took this out of Bob's body" — Dot couldn't mask the pained expression that swept over her face — "one of the boys took this and analyzed it. He later told me the specific type of gun this bullet belonged to. I'm no expert, but I believe that can help us greatly to figure out who shot Bob."

"Why should that matter?" Dot asked confusedly. "Didn't a Guardian shoot Bob?"

"We don't know who exactly shot him," the doctor replied, "but from the looks of this gun, it wasn't a Guardian."

Dot's pulse had quickened. "Then what kind of gun is it?" she asked.

"He said it was from a" — Dr. Qwerty paused to read the label on the bag — "model M16_248 handgun with cybernetic connection.'" He looked at Dot. "Does that give you any ideas?"

Dot barely registered his last words. When he read the model name, her knees buckled and she would have fallen had she not grabbed onto the table for support. She didn't realize she was holding her breath until Dr. Qwerty said her name several times and shook her, and Dot looked at him, and her breath expelled in a long gasp, and she did collapse. Dr. Qwerty had noted this, and he brought a chair for her to fall back into.

Dot put her head into her hands and said nothing for several nanoseconds. Her mind raced with the burning feeling of unyielding anger. But the anger couldn't help but be weighed down with fright — and confusion. The bullet was clearly from Matrix's Gun — but why, why, _why_ would he have shot Bob?

Slowly, she began to piece together events from before. Matrix had been acting strangely ever since that second Tessa and Kode had come to Mainframe. He hadn't even gone into the second Game cube that had fallen that second, something a sprite with even half of Guardian codes would certainly do.

Suddenly Dot understood why Matrix hadn't reported back to them after the ambush. How could he, with the enormity of what he had done? Somewhere in all her outrage, she felt pain for her brother. 

  
_Did he even do that of his own accord?_ She wondered. _What if he were driven to it, or — _

"Dot, are you all right?" Dr. Qwerty asked for the third time. Dot came back to reality with a small gasp. She looked up at the concerned doctor and tried to regain her composure. "Dr. Qwerty, I need to — I have to meet with the Countess."

He nodded. "I understand." He helped Dot to stand, even as she protested that she was fine.

She swallowed, trying to keep a calm front. "Thank you for giving me the news, and you'll keep me updated on Bob's condition?" she asked.

"Of course, Miss Matrix," he said. As Dot went for the door, he called after her, "I'm sorry."

She looked back, swallowing her sob. "So am I."

It seemed as if Bob were reliving the same moment over and over. Each time was worse, as he watched the small silver bullet fly toward him, smoke trailing off its edges. He watched, helpless, as it tore through his armor, pushing him to the ground, and pain blossomed in his side, and he would be swimming in the pain, until it finally overwhelmed him.

He watched that scene again, as if out of a .mov. But this time the darkness from where the bullet came parted, and he watched Matrix stand with his Gun raised, the muzzle pointing at Bob. Green veins appeared at his temples, as his right eye glowed bright red. The veins spread across the young sprite's face, down his neck, across his arm and to Gun. Bob yelled for him to stop, trying to get through to Matrix. Matrix didn't hear him, and he tightened his finger on the trigger. The bullet came, ripping through metal and flesh as Bob fell to the ground, feeling his energy pool around him.

His feverish processor struggled through the dream, trying to tell him something. Bob could barely think over the pain. The only thing he understood was that Matrix had shot him. Enzo Matrix, the sprite who had been a little boy so little time ago, only wanting to be Bob's friend.

By going into the Web he had failed that boy.

Bob screamed and screamed.

But no one could hear him.

Avina had thought that she couldn't get any more surprised, but Dot's news nearly made her fall out of her seat.

"Let me get this straight," the young Countess muttered. "Matrix shot Bob?"

Biting her lip, Dot nodded and twisted her hands behind her back.

"I don't believe it," Avi whispered. "But he's your brother, you said."

"He is," Dot answered, "but he's not the Enzo I knew. The Games changed him, made him bigger and angrier and more dangerous. But I had no idea they would make him into a completely different sprite."

"User, Dot, I'm so sorry," Avi offered quietly. She had no siblings, so she couldn't fully sympathize with Dot's situation. From what she had learned about the Matrix family, though, Matrix's part in the ambush was liable to rip the already unstable group apart.

Dot looked back to Avi. "What have you learned about the Guardians since the ambush?" she asked, and Avi was glad to direct their conversation to another, if not very pleasant, topic.

"For one thing, we wouldn't have any processing Guardians —" Avina made a face. "I keep forgetting they don't really process. Anyway, we wouldn't have any prisoners if it weren't for your mercenaries. Eide Cobra and Dram Freeware brought down at least thirty Guardians with file-locks without suffering serious injuries. Dram Freeware saved our ASCIIs too, when the Guardians were going to delete myself and my guards.

"We've taken the Guardians, in their stasis fields, inside one of the top floors in the hospital. The room is surrounded by guards, and our best scientists are working on the captive Guardians."

Here Avi looked grim again. "Unfortunately, we've got a huge problem. Those scientists haven't been able to learn _anything_ from the Guardians. The nano they take the Guardians out of the file-locks, the Guardians cease to process. One doctor told me that there was absolutely no life in those sprites the nano they met open air. Their veins were all black, and their bodies were empty. Other Guardians are gone before they even open the stasis fields."

"Daemon doesn't want us to know anything about her plans," Dot concluded, and Avi nodded in agreement. Dot sighed and rubbed her forehead with one hand. "At least Daemon didn't get control of the system and you as a host."

"The cost of my safety was the destruction of the Principle Office and deletion of those I know and love," Avina sighed, her eyes darkened with emotion that a young woman shouldn't be burdened with. The air was thick with her guilt. Dot knew what it felt to be responsible for an entire system and to watch comrades die. She'd been responsible for more lives than just her own since she was Avina's age.

A two-sided VidWindow popped up between them. On its screen was a binome from the communications center in one of Azrael's large skyscrapers. "Your Grace," he addressed Avina with a salute, then the side facing her turned black as the officer sent his attention to Dot. "Miss Matrix, we have an urgent message for you from Sector 6." Dot nodded, and the binome's face was quickly replaced with another.

"It's AndrAIa," Dot said after consulting the message. "She says there's something wrong." Her violet eyes were clouded as she turned back to her fellow ruler. "It looks like we've found Matrix."

Avi's eyebrows furrowed in thought. "AndrAIa is the Game sprite, who has amnesia?" she asked. Already on her way out the door, Dot nodded hurriedly in answer. Avina laughed without mirth under her breath. "Daemon's really out to get you guys, isn't she?"

Dot paused in the doorway. "She's been out to get us for minutes. This time it looks like she has." She said no more but hurried for Sector 6.

Matrix quietly opened the door and slipped inside the apartment he and AndrAIa shared in Sector 6. The pale walls seemed to shift and twist into the shapes of the others' faces, hissing the angry accusations he knew would come. Matrix shut his eyes, trying to ward off the taunts. But the illusions remained, burning their words into his mind.

__

I've gone random, he thought simply. Matrix groaned and dropped onto the couch, head in hands.

A sound made him sit up quickly. His gaze darted wildly around the room, until he saw AndrAIa standing silently in the doorway.

Matrix sighed in relief. "AndrAIa!" He went to embrace her, but AndrAIa's trident snapped out full-length, and Matrix stopped to avoid being impaled. "AndrAIa, what is it?" he asked slowly and cautiously. He studied her face, but her eyes were cold.

"Get out," she ordered quietly.

"What?" Matrix asked in disbelief.

"Get out of my home," AndrAIa repeated in a low voice.

"I live here," he argued.  
  
"No, you don't," AndrAIa said, her voice growing angry. "_Now get out_." She glanced at Gun, and her expression immediately darkened. She took a step back, her eyes wide. "Oh, User . . ."

Matrix reached for her, but AndrAIa backed farther away. "Don't come near me with that gun," she whispered. "I've heard about what you've done, you — you son of a null!"

Matrix was taken aback, and he wondered what in the Net she was talking about. His core-com suddenly shuddered with the frightening thought that AndrAIa knew what he had done to Bob. If she didn't defend Matrix, no one would.

"DrAIa, please listen to me —" he started, his voice uncharacteristically gentle as he tried for a second time to approach her.

AndrAIa screamed and lunged with her trident. Matrix dodged it again and stood in place, watching her carefully. Something was seriously wrong with her, and he was scared.

When he made no move to attack her, AndrAIa opened a VidWindow to the Principle Office. "Help, he's at my house!" she shouted.

Matrix grabbed her and held a hand tightly over her mouth. "What is wrong with you?" he hissed.

The message had already been sent. Matrix turned as CPUs appeared in the doorway, guns at the ready. Matrix knew he couldn't fight them all, so he released AndrAIa. She gasped and stepped away from him.

"Everyone, calm down," a voice called. Dot stepped into sight and signaled for the CPUs to lower their weapons.

Relief and apprehension washed over Matrix — his sister, here to straighten things out; but how would she treat her brother, the murderer?

AndrAIa ran to Dot. "He was — here, in my apartment," she gasped. "He — he almost attacked me!"

"It's all right, AndrAIa," Dot assured the game sprite. "Matrix is a Mainframer, like Enzo and Bob."

"But — but he had a gun," AndrAIa whispered.

For the first time, Dot looked at Matrix; her expression was hard as stone. She turned back to AndrAIa and said, "Would you feel safer at the hospital, AndrAIa? You could visit Enzo again, or get an energy shake and calm down." Matrix's processor whirled with confusion and weariness from the previous night. _How did Dot know to come here?_ he wondered blearily. _And why is Enzo here too?_

AndrAIa nodded haltingly. "Just — don't let him come back here," she whispered.

Dot nodded and sent some CPUs to escort the distraught AndrAIa to the hospital.

"Dot, what's wrong with AndrAIa?" Matrix demanded.

"In a nano, Matrix," Dot said coldly. He knew that, like AndrAIa, Dot only called him Matrix when she was furious. "We're going to the Principle Office."

Matrix followed Dot, noting disdainfully that they were being accompanied by several CPU binomes. "Dot, I demand to know what happened to AndrAIa," he said again.

"Wait a nano," was her neutral reply. Matrix growled at her back. Nerves and anxiousness clawed at his belly, and waiting for news made him feel as if he were going to truly go random.

When they reached the Principle Office, Dot led Matrix to her temporary office. Binomes shied away, watching Matrix fearfully. He gritted his teeth and focused on following Dot.

Dot declined to have CPUs accompany them inside her office, and she closed the door. The Countess was sitting on a bench, but Matrix didn't spare her a glance, so intent was he on finding out what he had missed.

"What happened to AndrAIa?" Matrix repeated in exasperation.

Dot turned to him, her face still stony. "She has amnesia."

"Amnesia?" he repeated in a low voice. He couldn't believe it. He _wouldn't _believe it! The sprite he loved didn't recognize him, or remember the times they had shared? That was as bad as losing her forever.

"Yes. It happened at the ambush," Dot replied. 

"AndrAIa . . ." Matrix whispered to himself, stunned and angry and frightened, all at the same time. He passed a hand over his face and slowly repeated her name, his voice trembling and heavy with remorse.

He glanced at Dot for any sign of her own sadness, but her eyes were strangely icy. For a moment Matrix felt searing rage course through him. How could Dot act so uncaring when the woman he loved had been injured and had lost her memories?

__

Because Bob was injured twice as badly and could be deleted right now, his processor answered him with the brutal realization.

Matrix dropped his hand abruptly. Just as quickly, his anger turned to shame; it was as fresh as the moment he had seen Bob's fallen body. "Dot — how's Bob?"

Dot barked a harsh, bitter laugh that Matrix had never heard from her and fervently wished never to hear again. "How's Bob? _How do you think he is_?" She caught her breath sharply and mentally berated herself for her temporary loss of control. Avina, barely noticed by the two, watched on gravely.

"We don't know." Dot's voice was eerily quiet now, and she looked strained beyond her limits. "He came out of surgery a little while ago, and he's been resting. The bullet hit him hard; it missed his organs, though, or else he would have been deleted." Matrix flinched at hearing the gruesome details spoken with such cold calm.

Matrix had never been good with words; now, he could think of nothing that would begin to explain what he had done. He just wanted to say that he was sorry, but that could never resolve the rift he had torn between him and his family.

Dot had to stop beating around the bush; she deserved to know the truth, however horrible it would be. She pursed her lips and was silent for a moment before she looked him square in the eye and demanded, "Enzo, how could you do that? _How could you_?" Her voice cracked with the emotion of trying to choose between him, her brother, and Bob, her love.

"I mean, what were you thinking?" Dot asked, her voice starting strong but dropping to barely a whisper in the end.

"Dot —" But Matrix didn't have any words to say. He had no idea how to tell his sister that yes, he _had_ shot Bob, but he didn't know how or why. "Dot, I'm innocent — I am! Why won't you listen to me?"

Dot crossed her arms over her chest and said, "All right, then answer me this: Did you do it?"

__

That's unfair, he raged to himself. "I — I did," Matrix replied, "but I — Dot, I had no idea! Something was wrong with me!"

Dot looked up at him with tear-filled eyes. "What's happened to you, Enzo? You used to be so . . . so little and innocent. But when you came back from the Games, you were different; you had changed too much for me to recognize you. I — I feel like I don't even know you anymore."

"Dot," Matrix gasped, disbelieving.

Dot's chin quivered, but she continued in a soft voice, "You're reckless, and uncaring, and lost in that dark place sometimes — almost all the time, now. You just — _you just shot him, with no reason_!" Her voice rose to a yell; it chilled Matrix to hear her out of control for a second time. Dot clapped her hands over her mouth, but her eyes glistened with held-back tears, and she was visibly trembling. Nothing had hurt her as much as this moment, when her world was ripped apart by two men she loved with all her core-com.

Matrix stepped towards his sister, continuing forward even when she flinched. "Dot — it's still me. I'm Enzo."

"I'm not so sure," she whispered, turning away. 

"That's it," Avina growled. "We're going to end this." She quickly pulled up a VidWindow to the chief CPU. "Chief, I need some officers here."

"Dot, no," Matrix pleaded. "Tell me you're not — you wouldn't —" But Dot didn't reply; her eyes were on the floor.

The doors to Dot's office were flung open, and a squad of Azrael's CPUs marched in and surrounded Matrix. He barely fought as they bound his hands behind him, but he stared at Dot in anguish and continued to protest.

"It's for the best, Enzo," she tried to explain, but he wouldn't listen. She wasn't even sure she believed it herself.

Matrix was torn between burning rage and horrible sadness, and he didn't know which to do: delete someone or break down sobbing. 

He tried to wriggle out of the cuffs on his hands, but the CPUs had bound his arms tight, and he was imprisoned. When the officers pushed him in the direction of the doorway, he realized the horrible end to this situation. 

__

I won't go to the jail! he raged in his mind. _I won't rot in a miserable cell when AndrAIa is lost in her own mind, and my family doesn't trust me!_

Seeing the look of fury that flashed across Matrix's face, Dot braced herself for an attack. Matrix almost flung the CPUs against the wall in his anger, but he was weighed down by a heavy weariness from the horrible battle.

"No, Dot, you can't do this!" her brother yelled desperately for a final time, wishing that somehow, someway Dot would see this error and let him go; maybe she would understand and help him, instead of contain him. But Dot stood unmoving, not even looking at him as the CPUs tried to herd him through the doorway and down the hall.

"Dot, I didn't — I didn't _mean_ to do it! Please, Dot, don't!" Matrix continued to call until they reached the lift. Soon his shouts died down as he was taken to the lower levels of Azrael's P.O.

Avina gave her an empathetic look and quietly left. Dot almost followed the CPUs to the Principle Office's dungeons; but she knew she wouldn't be able to handle the look on Matrix's face, so instead she remained in her office as her brother was taken away, yelling her name over and over. She wrapped her arms around herself to still her shaking, but silent tears spilled down her cheeks. "I'm so sorry, Enzo."

The binomes handling Matrix pushed him down three flights of stairs, even as he continued to fight and cry out that he was innocent. One CPU removed Gun from the renegade's leg as they entered the dungeons through two heavy doors. The binomes shoved Matrix into a cell and went to close it off.

Renewed anger surged in Matrix's veins. He lurched forward for his gun. Azrael's CPUs were faster and tougher than Mainframe's, however, and several surrounded him in the blink of an eye and forced him back. The binome holding Gun removed the power cartridge and let it clatter on the stone floor. He passed Gun to another CPU, who hurried back up the stairs.

With their combined strength, the CPUs forced Matrix back into the cell. One pressed a keypad before the renegade could jump back up, and huge bars crashed down before him.

Matrix stared out in anguish, but there was no way out now. The CPUs hurried upstairs, and the huge doors closed again, leaving Matrix alone save for the binome guards who patrolled the halls outside the cells. Heavy, grief-stricken silence filled the atmosphere for several milliseconds.

"You've really done it now."

Matrix barely turned his head to acknowledge his Protector. "What are you doing here?" he muttered.

Rasta Mon didn't answer. He slowly walked toward Matrix, his arms crossed over his chest. He watched the sprite impassively, his eyes glittering behind his shades.

Matrix tried to meet his gaze, but he guiltily dropped his eyes.

Finally, Rasta Mon spoke. "What's wrong with you?"

Matrix's head snapped up angrily. "I don't know what happened, all right?" he said sharply. "I — it was an accident." He flinched at his own words, as he was reminded of the last time Bob had been angry at him: on the Saucy Mare, when he had nearly shot at Ray. He had spoken the exact same words.

Rasta Mon snorted. "I don't care what you say, but you're going to hear what I have to tell you." He reached out and grasped Matrix's arm; for his size, the Protector had a grip like stone.

Matrix tried to pull out of his grip but couldn't. "What right do you have to tell me what to do?" he snarled.

"You're right," Rasta Mon said sarcastically. "I'm only your Protector. I've only been watching over you since you were compiled, and I've only spent the last eleven hours trying to mold you into a good sprite. I'd leave this to Bob, your mentor — but wait, _he's in the hospital_," he sneered cruelly. "And your sister can't scold you because she has to endure the _hell_ of praying that the one she loves won't be deleted! So, it's up to me to finally speak out.

"I don't get it, Enzo. You were always a bit bad, especially in the Games, but never like this. What in the Net could possess you to shoot your mentor?"

Matrix's throat worked several times, but no sound came. Finally he managed in a cracked whisper, "I don't know. I honestly have no idea. It's just — I saw something, and I shot at it, whatever it was. I thought I was doing the right thing. . . ."

Rasta Mon dropped his hand and disappeared, shaking his head in exasperation with his Protected.

  
Matrix rubbed his arm; where Rasta Mon had clutched him in anger there was a mottled bruise. He stood by himself in the cold, dark cell, feeling completely and totally alone.

Since the terrifying run-in with that large, dangerous sprite — AndrAIa didn't know his name and couldn't care less — AndrAIa had taken Dot's advice to return to the safety of the hospital. She was sitting in her hospital bed when she heard a knock at the door. "Come in, Dot," she called.

The door opened, but it wasn't Dot who came in. Instead, an ocher-skinned sprite AndrAIa had never seen before stood there, holding a bouquet of daisywheels.

She raised an eyebrow. "Who are you?"

The sprite stared for a nano, then he ran to her. He knelt beside her and clasped her hands in his. "Oh, AndrAIa! When I heard the news, I rushed here as fast as I could. How are you, darling?"

She frowned and tried to pull her hands back. "I said, who are you?"

The sprite gave her a look of shock and deep hurt and gripped her hands tighter. "What? You don't remember me, Kode, your love?"

"My — _love_?" AndrAIa repeated uncertainly.

Kode cupped her face in his hand. "Oh, you poor thing," he crooned, stroking her cheek. "You must not remember _anything_ about us."

Somewhere in AndrAIa's processor, an itching feeling nagged at her.

"We came here together, with Bob and the mercenaries," Kode told her. AndrAIa nodded haltingly. "We were separated in the ambush, and I never heard any news until just a few micros ago. Then I got here to be with you in your time of need. I'm your Lover."

Her processor was trying to remind her that the man kneeling before her was her lover, AndrAIa realized. She smiled, glad that something made sense. "I can see why," she said in a sweet voice.

Kode smiled back and hugged her. AndrAIa hugged him tightly, yearning for comfort in this random, unfamiliar territory, and rested her head on his shoulder. Kode kissed the top of her head, and his eyes flashed a devious green.


	20. Mad Season, PART 2

CHAPTER NINE

MAD SEASON, PART 2

For the first time in microseconds, Dot went to speak with the three members of The Net's Own. The mercenaries sat in one of the P.O.'s offices; though they had all acquired various injuries, none were life threatening. Axis' bright blue skin was black and purple from countless bruises, and his nose had been broken at an odd angle. Eide's arm hung in a sling, and she had acquired cuts and bruises over her exposed arms and legs. Dram didn't have many injuries; he just looked dirtied up from the fighting. 

When Dot entered the office, Eide Cobra immediately looked up. The grim look in the eyes of the group's temporary leader told Dot that they had already heard most of the news.

Dot still recapped the events of the last second. "Bob was shot, AndrAIa has amnesia, Enzo has sneaked here, and Matrix is in a jail cell."

Axis blinked furiously and jumped up. "_A jail cell_?" he repeated incredulously. "Why ever in the Net would he be there?"

Eide tugged him down by his sleeve. "Let the woman talk, Lurker."

Dot swallowed thickly. She was afraid she would burst into tears if she allowed herself to be swallowed up by the emotion of this second. She was unable to accept that her brother — still her younger brother, even though he had aged so much — had committed such a crime. "We just found out," she added, her voice dropping, "that Bob was actually shot by . . . Matrix. Matrix is in the jail, and once all this mayhem gets sorted out, he'll get a proper sentence."

"Is this some kind of joke?" Eide exploded. Her hands twisted, as if to choke the incriminated sprite. "Matrix would never do that!" But there was doubt even in the voice of one who had known the adolescent Enzo Matrix.

"_I know_," Dot snapped, then recovered. "I know. But Dr. Qwerty showed me the bullet they took out of Bob, and it matches Matrix's Gun perfectly."

Dram straightened from his slouch. "Then it must have been him," the mercenary said, ignoring Eide's deathly glare. "Why did he do it?"

Dot rubbed her face with her hand. "I have no idea, but I wish to the User above that I did."

"Miss Matrix?" The four sprites turned to see Dr. Qwerty in the doorway.

He coughed. "I'm sorry, did I —"

"It's all right," Dot said, crossing the room. "Do you have news about Bob?"

"Yes, somewhat."

"Well, what is it?" Eide snapped.

Dr. Qwerty licked his lips as Dot and the mercenaries watched him, anxiously waiting for an answer. "It's not very good news. You see, it's been several micros since the surgery, and Bob hasn't given any sign of awakening. We're starting to get worried."

Dot's face contorted in fright. "Is he going to be all right?" she asked, her voice quivering.

"We don't know," Dr. Qwerty answered grimly. He took Dot's hands. "Miss Matrix, I think you should go visit him." He said nothing more, and Dot nodded, feeling completely helpless and hating every nano of it.

"User help him," Axis murmured as Dot left with Dr. Qwerty.

Dram tossed his head, brushing a bang out of his face. "I knew it was Matrix," he said. "He was infected from the start."

"Dammit, Dram, just shut up," Eide growled.

Dram narrowed his eye and turned away. After a nano, Eide turned back to look at him, a suspicious feeling growing in her stomach. She locked eyes with Axis and saw that she wasn't alone in her thoughts.

Dot felt Bob's forehead. She had been with him for a micro, with no results. He had not yet awakened, and now she could feel a fever mounting.

Dot blinked back tears. She had already cried long and loudly, but to look at Bob and realize the despair of his situation made the tears come again. A few droplets flowed down her face, and she lay her head on Bob's chest.

Two figures shimmered into view.

"How's the patient?" the female asked quietly.

"Not good," replied her companion.

As Rasta Mon and Stripe passed by the two sprites, the latter stroked Dot's hair gently. Dot didn't feel it, though, and the Protectors went on.

"How's the other patient?" Rasta Mon asked. He and Stripe faced a dark corner of the room; in a few milliseconds, a tall, willowy form appeared.

"How are you feeling?" Rasta Mon asked again, touching the fellow Protector's forehead.

She didn't open her eyes to look at them. Her normally curly hair hung limp, and her beautiful rosy face was beaded with sweat.

"It hurts," she whispered. She held a long-fingered hand to her stomach, the exact spot where Bob had been hit.

"You'll be all right, Romy," Rasta Mon soothed, brushing a strand of hair from her face. "You'll live through this."

Bob's Protector jerked away angrily. "No one said anything about dying," she growled.

A moment later, a tear slipped down her cheek. "I don't want to die," she whispered hoarsely.

Stripe put a hand on her shoulder comfortingly. She glanced at Rasta Mon. "Ras, you'd better leave."

"What?" he cried. "I should stay —"

Stripe gently cut him off. "Both Romy's and my Protected are here," she said, with a glance at Bob and Dot. "You need to go to Enzo and Matrix."

Rasta Mon started to protest again; then he understood that Stripe wanted to stay to comfort Romy, and he nodded and disappeared.

Romy clutched Stripe's hand tightly. "I'm scared," she whispered, her eyes wide like a frightened child.

Stripe gripped her back. "Now look it," she said in a serious tone, though a smile tugged at her lips, "you're going to be fine. Bob's your Protected; and if there's any sprite who isn't going to delete easily, it's him." She stroked Romy's back. "Get some rest. This hurts as much for you as it does for Bob."

Romy nodded and closed her eyes. She leaned back against the wall, she and Stripe invisible to the world but still able to see one another.

Back in Mainframe, most of the citizens had a case of the jaggies, to say the least. Phong had taken up the temporary position of Command.com while Dot was in Azrael. As commander of the system, he had to make sure that Mainframe was still processing smoothly while checked up on the war plans and continuous surveillance of the lower levels.

Covin and Blair had still not been found, and the spot where Frisket had spotted something suspicious was under a constant guard. The CPUs whose format was to enforce the law took shifts while the pilots still practiced the aerial attacks Bob and Matrix had instructed them in minutes ago.

At Mr. Pearson's Data Dump, a group of six CPUs stood around the old shed that the grouchy binome normally lived in. They too were a little nervous, not knowing what exactly it was they were guarding.

There had been a few searches since the second Frisket had found something wrong, but each time turned up with no evidence except for the knowledge that something unknown was there.

As the seconds increased with no answers, the bomb that Covin and Blair had planted grew larger, still contained inside one of the dumpsters. It was a pearly white color, shaped like a very large egg. Each time the CPUs changed shifts, the bomb glowed dark silver, absorbing the energy from the spot and bringing it all into itself. Each time, it gained more power.

It was the middle of the second, and the latest shift of binomes sat eating a small lunch, their eyes always on the inconspicuous shed.

A rookie binome sat watching his superiors as he munched on a chip. Unexpectedly, he felt a prick between his shoulder blades. He shrugged to make the feeling go away, but it remained, and the pricking seemed to travel along his spine.

He dropped his chip and raised a hand to rub the back of his neck when the feeling intensified to a sharp sensation, and the next nano he dropped unconscious.

The binome next to him jumped back. "What happened?" he demanded.

The others swiveled their heads around to look, but they could see nothing to suggest what had happened to their comrade. Then, slowly, they each fell to the ground.

When the next shift of CPUs came to replace their comrades, they found the previous shift of binomes unconscious, some shimmering from energy loss. The binomes turned to zip back toward the Principle Office; but before they had taken three steps, they all crumpled.

Once both squads didn't return, the chief and other binomes cautiously approached the Data Dump. Twenty flickering binomes lay on the ground, but the new CPUs found nothing to suggest an attack of any kind.

The chief looked around the Dump and reported grimly, "These are our CPUs. What's going on down here?" he asked, stepping forward as he did so. He halted as something tugged roughly at his core, and he stumbled. He jerked back to the perimeter, and the feeling diminished.

"There's some sort of energy-drainer," he explained to the others. "Quick," he said to one, "get a message to the Principle Office and have them make a shield to fight off this before it gets to the rest of the level."

The CPU hurried off on his zipboard.

Once the message was sent, the mechanical whizzes in the Principle Office developed a shield that was designed to ward off the energy-drainer. A group of tech-boys accompanied by the chief CPU set up the shield in the Data Dump at the end of the second in place of another squad of guards.

Phong sat in Dot's office. Codec, Tab, and Balu stood against the wall or sat in nearby chairs, each with the same tense expression. Hexadecimal held Tessa against her protectively, stroking her long hair. The child listened with a calm that made her look older than her hours.

The old sprite steepled his fingers in contemplation. "It seems Daemon's Guardians left something behind," he said. "We do not know much about this organism, other than that it can drain energy at a steady rate." He sighed. "We have never dealt with something like this before. We need to get a message to Dot in Azrael. She must know of what is happening."

Codec nodded. "Agreed."

Phong opened up a VidWindow to dial in an outer-system call. When he pressed the correct digits, though, the large screen displayed black, with a single line cutting horizontally across it.

Tab's fists clenched in her skirt. "What's going on?" she demanded.

"Someone's cut us off," Balu answered in his deep, quiet voice.

"This is illegal, to disconnect communications unauthorized," Phong said. "And the main access to those calls is _here_, in the Principle Office. Whoever did this is here right now."

A knock sounded on the door, and Welman Matrix walked in. They all jumped at the interruption, and as he entered the room, six pairs of eyes followed him.

Welman glanced at the disconnected window with a look of absolute calm — a look that said he already knew what happened. "I'm sorry about the disconnection, old sprite."

Phong's eyes narrowed, and he pushed his glasses further up on his nose. "Do you have something to do with this, my son?" he asked.

Welman leaned against the chair where Tab sat, and she glanced up warily at him. He spread his hands in a helpless gesture. "It was needed."

"What do you mean, it was needed?" Hexadecimal asked, her eyes darkening from their usual green to an angry red.

Welman eyed her. Without answering her question, he turned and left the Principle Office.

Phong didn't waste a nanosecond. "Spare five CPUs to follow him," he ordered to a binome.

Tab stood. "With your permission, Phong, I'd like to go check the communications," she said. He nodded.

Balu stood as well. "Then I will come with you." Together they left for the lower levels.

Phong, Codec, Hex, and Tessa were left in the office. The registered virus spoke first. "I will take Tessa home with me now," she said. "We'll be safe." They disappeared in a flash.

Codec looked at the spot where they had just stood. With a grin, he commented, "I bet she'll ward off anyone who would want to hurt them."

"Of that I have no doubt," Phong answered. "But I am afraid that soon there will be need for fear in all of us."

Codec nodded somberly. "Mainframe's in trouble, for sure."

It wasn't much longer that Tab and Balu contacted them on a VidWindow to report.

"We've still got the inter-system VidWindows," the young mechanical whiz said, gesturing at the window. "But I checked the outer-system, and we've been cleanly disconnected. The lines are dead."

__

Ship easily passed through the bubble that separated the Supercomputer from the rest of the Net. Leaning back comfortably in the pilot's chair, Mouse chanced a look over her shoulder at the station Daemon had recently erected to ensure that each and every sprite and binome entering the Supercomputer was checked and given permission to continue on. Needless to say, Daemon had also recently put out some warnings on sprites from Mainframe, and Mouse had been recognized. All it had taken to solve that problem, however, was the containment field that she shot from her golden ring. Now, a chrome-skinned woman who had pleasantly introduced herself as Maxine was writhing and fighting a stasis field. The Guardians would find her sooner rather than later, but Mouse would deal with them only when the time came. She shoved her worries about them to the back of her mind; at the moment, she really didn't want to think about infected Guardians.

Mouse landed _Ship_ in a little-used docking bay. She made sure her katana was in easy reach and that her backup knife was safely hidden in her boot before she left _Ship_. She had landed in a run-down sector unnoticed by the Guardians, as far as she could tell from the lack of transports in the air.

Mouse kept to the alleys as she made her way toward the Guardian Academy. The Supercomputer had changed since she had last been there, but she was still able to determine how far she was from the Academy.

It had been hours since she had set foot in the Supercomputer. As she sneaked around the streets of the huge system — larger than any on the Net — Mouse frowned and thought at first that she must have the wrong address. Although Mainframe had been devastated by Megabyte's forces four minutes ago, it would have been considered pristine compared to the ravaged city that stretched out before her. Countless battles had taken their toll on the buildings: fire had burned the insides of houses, leaving them blackened shells; whole apartment buildings had been torn down; gigantic blocks of rubble scattered the cracked and twisted sidewalk. Green veins, pulsing like living organisms, twined and curled and crawled over the wreckage, staining the metal and cement a sickly neon green color.

One visit was enough to seal a memory of the Supercomputer's shining majesty into the mind of even the youngest sprite. The Supercomputer's tall, sleek buildings seemed to absorb the very sunlight that glittered on their walls and throw it into the streets, so that even the most ragged shack shone with its own proud light. Now everything was the same dull, broken trash everywhere one looked. The Supercomputer's spirit had been obliterated. It was enough to make a sprite crumple to the ground and empty their stomachs. Mouse had witnessed too many other systems with similar — though not as graphic — destruction, so she stubbornly held back her bile and continued on in her search for the Academy.

Mouse relied on her memories to guide her through the sectors. She started in the fringes of the system and slowly made her way to the opposite edge, where the Guardian Academy resided. If there were anywhere in the Supercomputer to take control, Daemon would have overthrown the Academy minutes ago. As Mouse reached Sector 8, she would find that she regretted being right about the Academy.

__

Out of the frying pan and into the fire, Ray thought with grim humor. He and Mouse had been skipping around the Net, from system to system for two minutes. They had escaped two Guardian attacks.

Scratch that. Mouse had escaped two attacks. Ray had been recaptured that second time and had spent hellish seconds in the same compound he, Mouse, and her friend Ethan — _some friend he was_ — had run from. In the middle of the previous night, he had been deposited in a transport and flown to none other than the Supercomputer. There he had been dumped in a cell no less clean than the first and had watched as a burly, silent Guardian patrol the halls. No one spoke to him unless it concerned his fate as another of Daemon's nameless slaves. Now that he was in the Supercomputer, the end of his life was looming up ahead; he was smack dab in the middle of Daemon's most powerful point of Infection on the Net.

For some reason, his processor brought up a memory of when he had been a prisoner in the nameless system where he had met Matrix and AndrAIa. It was the same routine in any prison. (And believe it or not, Ray had spent time in quite a few jail cells — for minor offenses and misunderstandings only, of course.) The prisoner was brought before the worst officer and given his punishment; then he waited out his fate in his charming accommodations.

Except for two things. One, the "charming accommodations" — which were usually anything but — was a pitch black jail cell illuminated only by the neon-green vines that had latched onto the damp walls. The vines had spooked Ray the moment he first stepped into his cell, and even now the sight of them made him shudder. They pulsed with an eerie, inhuman light, and small fronds waved occasionally in his direction; Ray had no doubt that the vines could see him, though he was lost on how. He had been shoved to and fro, through five different rooms during his imprisonment. Though every room differed — from dank, empty cells to battered communications equipment — the vines twisted themselves around every piece of furniture, every doorframe, and every door handle.

There was a second problem. The worst officer Ray had ever faced — and that sprite had been a nasty, hard-bitten man more machine than sprite and with glowing orange eyes — was a cute, fluffy kitten compared to Daemon's least-important officer. One could only imagine the kind of fear the _worst_ Guardian struck into sprite's core-coms.

What Ray hated the most was the fact that Daemon's Guardians were supposed to be deleted. It seemed so wrong and positively evil to control empty bodies. Their skin sagged on their bones, and bloody gashes and scrapes — gained in fighting as infected sprites, never healed — stood out starkly on the iron-gray flesh. Their voices — when they spoke — were little more than rough, barely intelligible rumblings. Forget glowing eyes; the lifeless holes in each Guardian's face chilled Ray far more.

The Guardians who shoved sloppy, foul-smelling food under his door and who mercilessly dragged him to Daemon had all been deleted and were now nothing more than husks. Ray hadn't encountered any half-infected Guardians — those who were still processing — since he had been recaptured. Daemon had probably learned from her mistake with Ethan, when he had gone against her Infection.

Or had he? Ray had a feeling he could understand the young Guardian's processor better than most. Ethan had rebelled against Daemon's control by freeing Mouse and Ray, and the Surfr had to applaud him for not crumbling under the super-virus' power. But when the three sprites had raced out of the compound, Ethan had betrayed Ray; he had slowed him down with some sort of toxin that allowed the Guardians to recapture the Surfr. Ethan had escaped with Mouse, but that didn't mean that she was safe. For all they knew, it could be some elaborate plan by Daemon to gain Mouse's trust. Why, Ethan could be toting her back to Daemon to be infected. In that case, they would have gotten nowhere and would have only delayed the inevitable.

That thought hurt the most.

Booted feet stomped through the halls, growing increasingly louder. The steady rhythm of footsteps continued until it stopped at the cell where Ray was being held. He didn't spare them a second glance. The previous afternoon, for the third time in eight excruciatingly slow-moving seconds, Ray had been hauled roughly out of his cell to see Daemon. He didn't doubt that the Guardians had come to bring him to "Her Lady" again, though he did wonder what Daemon had to gain from him by now. She had sucked his processor dry — a very painful experience, Ray could say with absolute certainty — for every piece of information he had about Mainframe. Fortunately for him, it wasn't very much.

"I'm going, I'm going," Ray muttered resentfully as the Guardians opened the door to the cell and yanked him to his feet by the cord attached to his wrists. His hands had been bound tightly and carefully with a restraining command. If he so much as twitched, they sucked a bit of his energy away. It kept him imprisoned and too weary to fight. When in the cell, his feet were bound too, but when for "visits" with Daemon, the Guardians released his feet.

Ray was herded down the dark hallways, one Guardian in front and one behind. He firmly kept his face pointing forward, his eyes focused on the greenish light that slipped out from under the crack in a door up ahead. Those ghoulish vines were wrapped around the damp walls, and as Ray passed, they set off a rustling that sounded suspiciously like laughter.

Ray gritted his teeth and kept walking, not slowing for an instant. He felt like a lowly slave being mocked, but he wouldn't give Daemon the satisfaction of seeing him surrender.

__

Your first mistake, Daemon hissed. Ray's head snapped up, and he swallowed thickly as a feeling of unease made itself known in the pit of his stomach. Though he had survived standing before Daemon's image three times before, it was not something he looked forward to repeating. And the three times he had seen Daemon, she was communicating from the Web via VidWindow — imagine how much more terrifying she must be in person.

Nevertheless, Ray held his head proudly high as he was pushed into the communications chamber. He stopped dead upon the sight he witnessed in that dark room, and his knees buckled threateningly.

Daemon, lavender-skinned and clad in a formfitting navy blue jumpsuit, took agonizingly slow steps toward him and reached out a gloved hand to brush against his cheek. Her hand was as hot as fire, and Ray flinched away.

Daemon blinked, feigning hurt. "Not happy to finally see me in the flesh?"

"Over a VidWindow was enough for me," he barely worked up enough nerve to snarl. His voice failed him, then, and he drew in a deep breath to still the hammering of his core-com.

"That's too bad," Daemon answered, "because I am _very_ glad to see my Web Surfr."

__

I'm not yours, Ray thought, his eyes narrowed. Daemon read his thought and grinned. Completely ignoring his fury, she continued: "I've been waiting for an entire cycle to infect you, Ray Tracer. You don't know how hard it is to find a sprite who can navigate the Web and bring me information on systems I have yet to infect."

__

I'm still free, Ray shot back and was again disregarded by the super-virus.

Daemon took the rope bound to Ray's wrists from one Guardian and dismissed him with a wave of her hand. She tugged Ray toward her, and he fell to his knees. He scrambled back to his feet, determined not to submit.

Daemon looped the coarse rope around her hands as she smirked thoughtfully. "Infection can be very painful, you know. As you slowly delete — and I make sure it's _very_ slow — I rip apart your skin and burn all your spirit out with a single touch." She flicked one delicate, gloved finger for emphasis. "Then again, you could go more peacefully . . . a bit of code-swapping, then I can just plunge my hand into your back when you're exhausted from the pleasure. You'll only feel a small tingling. Believe me, you may want to merge with a woman once more before you delete. And I'm more than willing; it's not as if I can find much satisfaction with a platoon of corpses."

Ray did the most ungentlemanly thing by spitting into her face — desperate times called for desperate measures — appalled by the mere notion. Daemon just turned her head to the side and sighed. Yanking Ray's bonds again, she drew him a hair's breadth from her face. "You may want to rethink your decision, Surfr Boy," she hissed. She flung him twenty feet away from her, releasing the rope in the same motion. A Guardian standing by calmly retrieved the rope and yanked Ray back to his feet.

"You've got some time," Daemon told him sweetly. "I have important business to attend to. I was in the Web for so long because I had to stay updated on the progress in Azrael." She grinned at Ray's blank look. "You wouldn't know it, but all of your friends are there," Daemon told him simply, yet it sent shuddering chills down his spine.

"My Lady Daemon," a Guardian called from the doorway. He looked hurried, meaning he had probably rushed from another chamber with important news.

Daemon narrowed her eyes, annoyed at being interrupted in her glee. Pursing her lips, she turned to the Guardian and asked, "What is it?"

"We've just received a progress report from our fighters in Azrael," the Guardian said. If he had been a real sprite, he would have quavered under Daemon's impatient glare. As it was, this deleted Guardian continued on with the dire news. "They've been driven out of Azrael by the system's CPUs and the sprites from Mainframe."

"Yes!" Ray whispered, pumping one fist in the air. He had no idea what was going on, but it sounded as if the situation had tilted in the favor of the good guys.

"Quiet," Daemon ordered without looking at him. The restraining command tightened around his wrists, and Ray was silent.

"Tell me how, when, and why," Daemon ordered.

"The sprites from Mainframe teamed up with the sprites from Azrael to fight off our forces. They were somehow able to beat them down, and once the numbers of our fighters were next to nothing, they retreated to their ships and left the system."

Daemon let loose a string of rough, furious curses, looking almost comical as the words flowed from the lips of her young host. She closed her eyes and sighed in a long-suffering way, then placed one slender hand on her forehead. "And did we gain _anything_ from our surprise attack?" she asked without opening her eyes.

"Yes, My Lady. Our forces burned down half of Azrael's Principle Office, and it says in this report that the number of deleted sprites was plentiful — including some from Mainframe."

Ray gasped in protest. Through Mouse he had learned that Dot had mentioned a plan of protecting some young ruler in a rich system, but it seemed Daemon somehow knew of this plan as well. Ray wondered if any of the sprites he had grown to like — Guardian Bob, AndrAIa, even the less-than-pleasant Matrix — had been among those injured or deleted. He had just begun to become better acquainted with all of them, and the thought that any of them could be gone sent a stab of pain into his core-com.

Daemon shrugged and opened her eyes. "Well, that's better than nothing. Go, now." Her slave bowed and obediently rushed out of the room.

Daemon returned her burning gaze to Ray, and her lips curled into a smirk as he narrowed his eyes behind his goggles and continued to struggle at his bonds. "In about a second I'll know which Mainframers I succeeded in deleting," Daemon told him. "And those I didn't get will eventually tear themselves apart, what with all the chaos from the attack. They can't trust each other, you know; not anymore." She looked a lot more pleasant than she had been two milliseconds earlier.

"It's just like I told Turbo . . ." Daemon paused, but not for drama. "I did like Turbo," she murmured, almost to herself. "If only he hadn't rebelled, like they all eventually do. It's not _my_ fault they have to be deleted the painful way." She sighed heavily and looked back at Ray; she was smiling again. "Like I told Turbo, my plan of divide, render, conquer' is working perfectly." She counted off on her gloved fingers. "The attack divided them. It's really a wonderful story, you should hear it sometime. Lots of confusion, and lots of bloody deletions. Now, the stage in which I render them is just beginning. The poor sprites will be so vulnerable, it will take only a few sharp blows to make them fall. Then" — Daemon's small smile turned fiercely predatory — "I can conquer.

"But enough about my devious plans of destruction; you probably don't care what happens to those Mainframers. None of them are friends or family. There's only one sprite from Mainframe that you care about, and she's nowhere near Azrael." Daemon paused, and Ray's core-com thudded painfully in his chest. She casually glanced out the window at the bleak, twisted streets of the Supercomputer, and Ray was forced to follow her gaze. There was nothing outside.

"If everything is according to schedule — and no one has informed me otherwise — Mouse should be arriving here very soon. Ethan — you remember him, don't you? — will be escorting her to her doom." Daemon paused and let out a girlish giggle. "I love the sound of that, don't you?"

Ray clenched his teeth to keep from crying out Mouse's name. Daemon could delete him or infect him — though he'd much prefer the former — but there was no way she could touch Mouse.

"Oh, but I can." Ray cursed Daemon silently; the super-virus had read his processor yet again.

"Don't worry, Surfr," Daemon told him, her tone almost gentle again. "Mouse will be happy to see her beloved Ray Tracer again. But the sprite who will meet her when she arrives in the Supercomputer won't be a living sprite any more."

Ray's core-com quickened in panic, and as Daemon approached him he bolted for the door with an extra burst of speed in his legs. He had forgotten about the rope that bound his hands and the Guardian that held it, however, and he went toppling to the ground. Daemon slowly walked to the spot where he had fallen and began to peel off one leather glove.

Ray looked up weakly and realized that Daemon's eyes had become icy black holes. He shivered like a sprite befallen with a fever virus and tried to look past her, for any means of escape.

"My Lady!" the same pestering Guardian called from the hallway. "There appears to be activity in one of the empty classrooms. We think it may be the rebels again."

Daemon growled under her breath and stopped. Ray allowed himself a sigh of relief but didn't dare turn his head. "Take care of it," she snapped. "Can't you see I'm busy with my Surfr?" Ray tried not to let her see him shudder.

Something glittered over Daemon's shoulder, and Ray struggled to focus on it as Daemon's hand passed before his face. She grabbed his shoulder with her bare hand, and Ray let out a scream. Where her uncovered, lavender-colored skin touched him acid ate through the material of his clothing format and burned his skin. Daemon hauled him roughly to his feet, and Ray could see what he had detected in the darkest corner of the room: his Baud, its shifting light-energy gleaming through the darkness!

__

Unfortunately, Ray thought as Daemon traced her acid-covered fingertips over his cheek, raising huge red welts, _there's no way I'm gonna get to it now._

"Delete Daemon!"

The cry came from seemingly nowhere, until Ray noticed the amount of activity at the doorway. It was dark and hard to see, but he thought he detected the large, burly forms of Guardians grappling with smaller, slimmer forms. A lamp flashed through the group, momentarily illuminating the teenagers — they didn't look much older than he — fighting hand-to-hand with the infected Guardians.

__

Are they random? Ray thought incredulously. He continued to watch the fight, fascinated at how the teenage rebels didn't back down. They were actually holding their own, and Ray's next thought was slightly more positive: _Random enough to succeed._

The ragtag band of sprites had made it into the room, and they wasted no time in destroying equipment with weapons and good, old-fashioned fire.

Daemon shrieked in outrage and released Ray. He dropped, too relieved to sit up anymore, and pressed his cheek to the achingly cold floor. User, he had never felt so good in his life.

A foot dug sharply into his ribs, and Ray turned over on his side, irritated at whomever had decided to trample him as he was enjoying just a little bit of relief. Sprites jumped and ran above and around him, and Ray felt dizzy just watching them. He laboriously pushed himself to his feet again and surveyed the room.

A huge Guardian slammed into him, and again Ray became up close and personal with the ground. That was it, he decided. If he were going to have a chance of surviving, he would have to be above the action.

He whistled for his Baud, wincing as his burned cheek stung. Immediately, the sleek gray-blue Baud whizzed through the air. Ray jumped a few feet off the ground, and his Baud slid under him perfectly. His feet touched down on the smooth, steady surface he had known for all of his life, and he was off. He flew around the room, watching the battle. As much as he would have liked to assist the rebels, his hands were still tied and they were steadily gaining the upper hand.

Just then Ray noticed someone he could help: a tall kid was locked in combat with a Guardian, and another was sneaking up on him. Ray slammed straight into the Guardian as another had done to him, and the sprite went down, hard. Ray then swerved sharply and yanked the astonished boy onto his Baud — no easy feat with his hands bound, but he managed to grab the kid's arm — before the first Guardian could slash at him with a curved knife.

"Thanks," the teenager gasped. His face — Ray couldn't tell what color in the darkness — was flushed, and his eyes sparkled. Staring at the kid, Ray's stomach did a flip-flop. The boy looked unnervingly like Mouse with the taste of bloodlust on her tongue, a sight that was slightly unpleasant for Ray. The kid even had her bright hair.

"Drop me off here," the teenager instructed Ray. "I can help my friends." Glad to understand something, Ray nodded mutely and deposited the boy on the ground.

"Now get out of here," the boy called after him, waving an arm for emphasis. "We've got it covered!"

They did. Daemon had disappeared — Ray had no idea where or how, but there was no trace of her anywhere in the room — and the Guardians' numbers were growing less and less. Eventually, the unequally matched rebels would have to high-tail it out of the ruined building, but they would have lost less fighters than they had in other surprise attacks.

"Thanks mate!" Ray called after the teenager. He flew at top speed through the winding corridors of the dank building, ignoring his pain and focusing on his goal of reaching the outside.

He made that goal with the last of his strength. Ray burst out of the huge, silvery building and onto the Supercomputer's streets. The cement was torn up and blackened from repeated battles, and the buildings surrounding it weren't in much better shape. What struck him most was the hazy, green-clouded sky; no sunlight shone anywhere, and Ray shivered although there was no cold wind.

There were no citizens on the streets; if any were left from Daemon's Infection, they had all safely hid in their houses and hadn't dared to venture out. No Guardians rushed after him, and neither did any rebel sprites. He was alone; there was no one who could help him or hurt him. That was all right, though. Ray had survived on his own long enough, and he knew how to manage by himself.

As Mouse was just entering Sector 8 on her zip-board, her katana held out in front of her, she became aware of a pair of eyes — it felt like one pair, but where there was one dirty sprite there were bound to be more — on her back. Mouse remained very still and tightened her grip on her katana.

Ray paused in the alleyway, allowing the darkness to cloak him. His Baud was propped against the wall, out of sight of whoever had also halted next to his hiding spot. He couldn't see who loomed just out of sight, hovering a few feet above the ground on a zip-board, but it couldn't be anyone pleasant.

A wave of exasperation washed over Ray suddenly. He was tired; he was bruised and cut, and the welts on his face didn't feel very good either; he had been beaten several times and he just wanted to get out of this hellhole. "Why don't you show yourself?" he called to the sprite crouching in the opposite alleyway. "If you're gonna delete me, mate, might as well make it quick and merciful."

Mouse's breath sharpened, and her knees wobbled with sheer relief. Without a second thought for her own safety, she ran out of the alleyway and rushed towards the voice. It could be only one sprite, the one sprite she thought she would never see again —

Ray's core-com leapt like a dolphin in the data sea at the sight of Mouse's static orange hair. He never thought he'd be this happy to see glowing hair, but his Mouse — My _Mouse?_ some part of his processor mused. _I'll have to think more on that that later_ — was running towards him, and things would be all right if they could only be together —

Just as Mouse reached Ray, an extremely large, extremely grungy binome blocked the Surfr and caused Mouse to skid to an abrupt stop, her katana automatically raised.

The binome leered at her around broken, grimy teeth, and his one eye narrowed menacingly. "If you want your beloved —" He stopped and looked Ray over; then, without figuring out Ray's function, he rushed on, "If you want your beloved sprite who doesn't have any ears, you'll have to get through me, sweetheart." His dirty grin widened as he got a feel for how manly he sounded.

A nano later, Mouse sliced a chunk of his greasy black hair off his head, and the binome bolted before he could encounter any more trouble. Mouse immediately forgot him and turned wide, pleading eyes on Ray, begging him to be real and not a tired illusion her weary processor was dangling before her without any hope of reaching.

For his part, Ray let out a small laugh as he watched the binome run for his life. "Those blokes get easily scared, don't they —" Mouse flung her arms around his neck and kissed him long and hard. Ray also forgot the troublesome binome as he held Mouse tightly to him, determined not to let her go for a second time.

With Mouse nestled comfortably in his arms, Ray knew that he could ask for no more. The User had granted him a rare blessing by allowing him to escape Daemon's clutches and reunite with the woman he loved. Yes, he loved Mouse. There was no doubt that his feelings were of anything else but fiery, passionate, tender love.

__

It was all worth it. The skipping around the Net; the stay in that frigid system; the heartbreak, the remorse and the fright. It was the price Mouse had had to pay in order to return to Ray, and she would have lived through that hellish cycle one hundred more times if it meant that she could see his strong, smiling face.

For just two milliseconds in the war against Daemon, Mouse felt at peace.

Dot retired to her office as Azrael began to go into downtime. What a second — and it hadn't even been a full one since the ambush. She was tired out of her processor with all the worries for Bob, AndrAIa, and Matrix too, plus her anger at Daemon's troops, for bringing this down on them. Right now she desperately wanted to sleep. And she would, just as soon as she contacted Mainframe to let them know she was all right — in a sense.

As Dot dropped into her chair and powered up the communications, she noted that Azrael had a far better communications system than Mainframe. _They hadn't just been in an hour-long system war_, she added to herself. Mainframe had gone from one war to the other. It almost made her laugh; they had had only a minute and a half to relax before the next wave came.

Dot tried to convince herself that she was tired, and these thoughts were only coming from her lack of sleep. She typed in Mainframe's address with weary fingers and waited for the connection, willing her lids to stay open for just five more milliseconds.

An urgent beeping made her sit up. Dot wondered what was going on before she realized the beeping was coming from the screen in front of her, accompanied by a bright message.

"UNABLE TO CONNECT. COMMUNICATIONS CUT OFF. UNABLE TO CONNECT. COMMUNICATIONS CUT OFF."

Dot hurriedly pulled up a map of the systems around Azrael and searched for Mainframe. On the spot where her home system was, there was a large red X.

Dot gripped the sides of the desk tightly. _Not again_, she thought, eerily reminded of when Megabyte had cut them off from the rest of the Net. _Not again._ She wasn't sure if it was weariness or fright or a mixture, but a tear trickled down her cheek.

Enzo stood in the doorway, his eyes wide. The message on the screen kept repeating itself. "UNABLE TO CONNECT. COMMUNICATIONS CUT OFF. UNABLE TO CONNECT. COMMUNICATIONS CUT OFF." His eyes grew bright with tears — not just for all of them in Azrael, but for his close friends in Mainframe: Frisket, Phong — and Tessa.


	21. 10: Leave it Behind

CHAPTER TEN

LEAVE IT BEHIND

****

Author's Note: It looks like my evil habit in writing has caught up to me: writing LONG chapters. It also looks like this one may turn out to be three parts instead of two, so that means a little longer wait. I'll try to cut down the next few chapters. Oh, and there are only about four or five chapters after this, and then I'm free – er, then my epic is completed! I hope you all continue to enjoy reading.

Sometimes Matrix wondered why he was forced to endure this kind of pain. As if the last twelve hours of his life hadn't been torture enough, now everyone he knew and loved, plus several strong allies, were turned against him, and he was behind bars for something he wasn't sure why he'd done.

It was a humiliating experience, to be a prisoner in an ally system, guarded by those he was supposed to fight with, not against. He didn't get many visitors, but there were always guards patrolling the cell block, all second and all downtime. At night, when Matrix lay awake, unable to find the temporary solace offered in sleep, he heard the Azraelian CPUs muttering to one another about the "psychotic maniac who had turned on all his comrades." That much was enough to keep him from sleep every night.

Mostly, he thought about AndrAIa, and how she was doing. It had scared him in a way he hadn't realized he could be hurt and afraid when his beloved – his best friend, the only companion he had had growing up – hadn't known him, had treated him like some sort of monster. The worst part was, Matrix hadn't talked to Dot or any of his friends since he had been jailed, so he had no idea of what had happened to AndrAIa after that second he had encountered her – and she had screamed in fear, and anger, at _him_ –

Matrix blinked furiously and swiped a hand over his face. If anything, this was definitely the lowest point of his life. He had never felt as angry and humiliated and, most of all, helpless as he did now. His entire body felt on fire with the heat of his anger; it was such a heavy, tangible thing that a strong ache exploded inside his head. It was so powerful that Matrix groaned and turned over on his side. A dull pounding had been echoing through his head for several seconds now, and Matrix had figured that the considerable stress was giving him a headache. Now, it felt as if his head had blown up from the inside. His skin tightened until the pressure was almost unbearable and Matrix was gasping. This was no headache – it hurt too much. But then, what the hell was wrong with him?

Matrix swung himself into a sitting position, but immediately a wave of nausea overtook him, and he was forced to brace himself against the cold metal of the cot on which he lay. When most of the dizziness had faded, he carefully stood up from the cot and slowly walked into the corner of the cell, where a single metal bowl lay, filled with the remains of the meager dinner they'd served him; he hadn't been hungry enough to eat it. He hadn't eaten much in seconds, actually.

Matrix dropped to his knees and picked up the plate, tilting it so that it caught the meager light from the hallway. By tilting the dish at a certain angle, Matrix could see his distorted reflection. He squinted and peered closer at the dirty metal, trying to discern if the faint glow at his temples was just his imagination. Upon closer inspection, he found that he hadn't imagined it: sickly, greenish veins pulsed, weak but steady, on his forehead.

Matrix tossed the dish aside, and it clattered loudly on the stone floor. He pushed himself to his feet and stumbled over to the cot. When he stood in front of the tiny cot with its raggedy blanket, the realization hit him fully.

He was in the first stages of infection. Namely, the Infection.

If Matrix hadn't been so malnourished, tired, damp, and emotionally exhausted, he would have screamed and broken things and shot wildly with Gun. But things were different now. A sort of apathetic hopelessness had settled over his body, and suddenly he _simply didn't want to fight anymore_. Matrix lay down on the cot and stared blankly at the ceiling. The veins at his temples continued to pulse.

In the dark silence that followed, the only sound Matrix could hear was his own breathing. User, he had to get out of here. _Maybe to see AndrAIa,_ he thought, but the notion flitted away like a paper-thin butterfly as soon as he had processed it. He just wanted to be free – free from the burden of guilt that he had lived with for every second since he lost that Game with AndrAIa. That guilt had returned, it seemed; though manifested in a new form, he was again at fault for another disaster that had put one of his closest friends in the clutches of deletion.

She loved him.

That was the only way to explain the familiar yet strange and alien feeling Mouse possessed for Ray Tracer. It wasn't the flirtatious winks she directed at Bob, and it was even more than the simmering flames she still felt for Ethan. Her feelings for Ray were a confusing but amazingly strong combination of physical attraction and affection and a strange ache in her core-com. 

She really did love him. When he had been torn away from her, several times in this adventure, she had been scared beyond her wits until she discovered he was unharmed. Though she had never admitted it to herself, during the micros it took to get to the Supercomputer Mouse had wondered endlessly if Ray were deleted. If he had been truly gone from her life, for those micros Mouse had experienced the heart-wrenching realization that she wouldn't have been able to live without Ray.

Ray kissed her swiftly, then broke away roughly to nuzzle her cheek with his. He was relieved to be alive and overjoyed to find Mouse. He'd never thought he could feel this way for anyone, most of all Mouse – he'd thought they were just flirts, not truly soulmates -- but this war had shown him how much he really did care for her, and Ray was so glad to discover that she felt what he did. He bent to her ear and whispered, "I love you." Mouse whispered those exact words back and kissed him in the same breath.

She pulled back to get a better look at him – to think, she might have never seen his ruggedly handsome face ever again! – but she didn't release her hold on his hands. Ray looked badly beaten up; his pale blue websuit was torn and even a little bloodied, as if he had been thrown around constantly. Not to mention, there were countless bruises over his face and neck, and angry red welts covered his entire left cheek. However, Ray still managed to grin roguishly, though it visibly pained his face when he did so. Mouse couldn't help but grin and lean forward to kiss him again; they kissed very gently, as she threaded her fingers through his short, blond hair.

But this was not the time for romantic silliness. Mouse grimaced as she heard the ever-present roar of sirens from Guardian transports, and she reluctantly pulled away from Ray. "We've gotta find someplace to hide, Sugah."

He took her hand and squeezed it reassuringly. "You're right, but I have no idea where to go. I just got here, anyway."

"Not to worry, luv." Mouse winked at him, and Ray grinned when she adopted his manner of speaking. "Ah know this place well – very well, actually. Just follow me; I'll get us as far away from the Guardians as we can."

Mouse paused and slowly turned around again to give the Guardian Academy a final, thoughtful stare. Though she hated to admit it, the sight of such a magnificent training grounds – for it truly was the best academy in the Net, hands down – desecrated so thoroughly struck her like a rough blow. Mouse shut her eyes and drew in a deep breath, then reopened them with her regular fierce determination. The only thing that gave her away was the glimmer of moisture in her large brown eyes.

Ray could easily see the fresh pain in her eyes, rekindled from an old wound from long ago. There was no doubt in his mind that Mouse had had something to do with the Academy in her past. But now wasn't the time to bring up sensitive subjects. Nevertheless, Ray catalogued that piece of information in the back of his processor and hurried to follow her.

"What about _Ship_?" Ray asked as he sailed beside Mouse on Baud.

"It's in another sector, near the borders of the system," she answered. "Let's go get it." She took Ray's offered hand and jumped on to his Baud, as they both skimmed over the dirty, uneven streets.

It wasn't long before they slipped into the dark shipyard where countless ships of all size and style had been docked. Keeping to shadows and trying to appear inconspicuous, they hurried past other, run-down vessels and reached _Ship_. Mouse's weathered ship easily blended in with the dark shadows, but it was truly a welcome sight for Ray.

Mouse opened the hatch with a secret code, and they went inside as the hatch closed again behind them. Mouse seated herself in the pilot's chair and powered up the controls. _Ship_ sailed smoothly up and away, out of the shipyard and into the hazy air. Mouse kept _Ship_ low to the ground, however, so as not to attract attention from Guardian transports.

Unfortunately, those damned transports swarmed everywhere, like ants scurrying over a fallen sweet. Twice Mouse turned a corner and barely avoided bumping into a hovering ship with the faded black-and-gold icon painted on its side. Mouse searched the skies for an opportunity to dart past the many transports, but they guarded the portal to the rest of the Net. The nano Ray had escaped her clutches, Daemon had alerted all of her slaves to put down a strict guard on the entire Supercomputer, because she suspected that where the Web Surfr was, there was bound to be another sprite on the side of Mainframe.

Mouse swore under her breath. Following her gaze, Ray made the same realization, and his expression darkened. "What do we do?" he asked softly.

Mouse expelled a deep sigh and quickly made her decision. "We'll have ta hide out, and Ah know just where. In the middle-class sectors, there are a few run-down warehouses; I saw `em when Ah was headin' for the Academy. They're big enough to hide _Ship_, and we'll be able to buy some time."

Mouse shrugged. "After that, Ah've got no idea. But we'll get through it." Ray gave her shoulder a reassuring squeeze. Mouse swiveled _Ship_ around and silently flew through the sectors of the Supercomputer, until they reached Sector 6. As Mouse had seen earlier, a huge row of weathered, dark gray warehouses stood in the sector. Not a single building had escaped fighting; viral slash marks marred the dark outer walls of each warehouse, and they seemed to stand only by being supported by the other warehouses. But these were the only shelter Mouse and Ray had.

They entered a warehouse on the end, where Mouse touched down _Ship_ behind stacks of boxes holding unknown supplies and began to power down the transport. Together they left _Ship_ and walked through darkened rooms. Even as Mouse's eyes adjusted to the darkness, she couldn't tell what the buildings housed.

The warehouses were interconnected by a series of doors that looked as if they hadn't been used in ages. Mouse put her hand on the doorframe and came off with her palm covered with dust, which only confirmed her thoughts that the places were abandoned.

They stepped through the old door and continued going from room to room. Inside a room in the second warehouse, Mouse scuffed her foot against the floor and stopped when no dust rose. Maybe she had been too quick to label these warehouses as "abandoned." She slid her hand over a nearby object and verified her suspicion.

She held up her clean hand. "Someone's been here recently," she observed. "We're gonna have ta be careful." Ray nodded, and they continued on their search through the rooms, their senses on the highest alert. Nothing leapt out at them from that room, however, so they carefully opened the next door and entered a room that was pitch-black.

"I wonder what's in here," Ray muttered as he searched for a light. A single overhead lamp snapped on, revealing that they were in what appeared to be a small, horribly primitive war room. There were several tables with chairs pushed away from them and maps on the walls. Mouse inspected the maps while Ray continued searching the perimeter of the room. One map showed a recent map of the Supercomputer, and the others were of specific points. Some Mouse and Ray had already seen: the Guardian Academy, both inside and out; others, like the images of large estates and mansions, were unfamiliar to them.

Mouse heard footsteps coming from somewhere around them. Her head whipped around as she searched the darkness, but she could see no one.

Then she heard someone behind her. She turned around to confront the person and was met with air.

A hand clamped down on her shoulder, and she felt the weight of a gun press between her shoulder blades. Ray had been caught in a similar situation.

She heard the sounds of many more sprites approaching, and she and Ray were backed into a corner. They were in trouble now. They faced a large group of sprites ranging in ages from late teens to 3.0s. The sprites all wore dirty, ragged clothes and weary expressions on their faces, but their eyes were bright with the will to fight.

Ray's mouth tightened as he gazed at the rebels, wondering how he and Mouse would be able to fight their way out. There didn't look to be any options.

Mouse watched a sprite step forward from the cluster, holding a lantern at arm's length. She tensed, and her captor's reaction was to jam the gun harder into her back. 

The sprite cautiously approached Mouse and shone the lantern into their faces. The soft light let her see the sprite's face as he saw hers.

Her core-com stopped. Just stopped.

He was young, a probable 1.9. First, she saw the features that were similar to hers, and yet seemed so different: ruby hair, amethyst skin, jade eyes. Then she began to pick out the details. He wore his hair in a thick braid over one shoulder, with messy spikes over his forehead. A faint line of hair traced its way over his sharp jaw. The eyebrows and nose were like hers, but he must have picked up the bitter curl of his lip from someone else.

She could barely see the little, 0.4-hour-old brother she had known.

"Dean?" she finally asked, in a voice that was barely above a whisper.

His eyes narrowed, seeming like green chips. "Who are you?" he growled. He leaned forward, scrutinizing her; then he abruptly jerked back, his eyes wide. The light from the lantern shivered, and Mouse realized that the sprite's arm holding the lantern was shaking.

"Dean." She was sure now. A smile had appeared on her lips unbidden, and it grew as she realized that it was really he.

He expelled a long, shaking breath. "Moira?" he finally breathed.

Mouse felt a cold hand grip her core, as chilling memories wound their way through her chest at the mention of that name. She pushed them away and answered, "Yes, it's me." In a slightly different tone, she quickly added, "It's Mouse, now."

The grip on her shoulders slackened. Mouse caught a sight of her captor – a sprite her brother's age, with green skin and yellow hair – before the teenage Dean ran to her and hugged her tightly. Mouse forgot about the sprite and returned Dean's hug with a fierce happiness. _Is this what Dot felt when she saw Enzo again?_ she wondered.

Dean pushed her back and stared at her in astonishment. "Sweet User! I can hardly believe you're here. I mean, it's been so many hours – and how did you get out –"

"Mouse, who are these people?" Ray asked, cutting off Dean's chatter. "And how do you know that Dean person?"

One of the rebels growled for him to be quiet and emphasized their point by nudging him sharply with their weapon.

"This is my sister," Dean told him, rather sharply.

"_Sister_?" Ray's gaze swept to Mouse. "You never said anything about having a brother."

"Ah didn't know he was processing," Mouse shot back, slightly irritated. Her voice lowered. "Ah didn't know anyone was processing, `cept me."

Ray's expression softened. "Mouse, I'm sorry." He turned his gaze back to Dean, scrutinizing the boy. Suddenly, he jerked in surprise. "I know you! You're that kid I saved, in the Academy when all the rebels went after the Guardians."

Dean cocked his head to the side and narrowed his eyes; _He looks a lot like me when he does that,_ Mouse thought proudly. Slowly, his eyes widened, and he said, "Yeah, I recognize you too. You're Daemon's Surfr."

"Not Daemon's," Ray hissed suddenly and vehemently, and Mouse knew without a doubt that he was speaking the truth. He struggled a little against one of the rebels, but the hard-looking woman who held him didn't look as if she were about to release the Surfr. "Mouse -- do you think, the kid being your brother, he could tell them to let me go? And here's a few things for you, Dean – Daemon was trying to infect me, and I saved you. I'm on Mouse's side – which means I'm on your side, too."

The rebel holding Ray looked uncertainly at Dean. The young sprite regarded Ray suspiciously. "I don't know about him. Daemon's been trying to infect Web Surfrs; how do we know he isn't one of her minions now?"

"He's _not_," Mouse said firmly. "Ah'd trust `im with mah life."

Dean looked surprised. Then he nodded. "And I trust Moira – I mean, Mouse. Nice to meet you --?"

"Ray Tracer." Ray was released, and the two sprites shook hands.

"A lot of explaining is in order," one sprite said softly.

Dean nodded, his eyes on Mouse and Ray. At the same time, he and Mouse asked questions.

"What happened to you?"

"Why are you in the Supercomputer?"

They stopped and smiled at one another. "You first," Mouse quickly instructed.

Dean nodded, his eyes bright with excitement. Before he spoke, however, he inclined his head toward one of the rebels. "Rapi, would you watch for Guardians?" Mouse noticed how he phrased the order as a question. The yellow-haired teenager nodded and went to do as Dean asked. He turned back to Mouse and spent several nanoseconds simply staring at her, sizing her up. His eyes were narrowed in thought, as if he were considering how exactly to sum up fourteen hours of separation into one question. But he knew, as Mouse also did, that that was impossible, and so he tried to form one question, to begin to learn more about the sister he hadn't had for two-thirds of his life.

"How did you escape?"

Ray's thoughtful look abruptly snapped to one of deeper interest as quickly as a light switch first illuminates, then darkens, a room. There was a story behind this; he had no doubt of it. And from the look on Mouse's face, it wasn't a pleasant one.

"A virus attacked our system," Mouse explained softly to Ray and the other refugees, though most of the latter already knew the story from having worked with Dean and his family. "It almost got me, but . . ." Noticing Ray watching her, Mouse hurriedly tried to look happy again, but those dark memories seemed to breathe down her neck as she dredged them up to make a proper explanation. "Ah got a ship and flew out of there as fast as Ah could." She wasn't telling the entire story, Dean knew. But he couldn't blame her for leaving specific parts out. Even now, as the memories came back to him too, he could remember the horror, the death . . . his sister's cries for help, as she and Moira were stuck inside the system and he and his parents made it out.

Dean struggled to focus on Moira – no, her name was Mouse – again as she continued her story. "Ah became a hacker and got odd jobs in the Supercomputer. Then, a few hours ago Ah met up with some old pals in a backwater system, and Ah've been with `em ever since."

"Did you settle down there or something?" Dean asked.

Mouse smiled grimly. "It wasn't all fun and games. Mostly, it was war that kept me there with my friends. Now it's another war that's got me on their side." Ray squeezed her hand reassuringly, and Mouse looked up, surprised, into his eyes. Slowly, a smile spread over her face.

"Our story's kind of similar, then," Dean began his part. "Like you know, we got out of the system, but we kinda drifted over the Net for a while. Then we made it to the Supercomputer. But since we had no supplies or units, plus we were torn up pretty badly, we couldn't do much in this huge, rich place. Luckily for us, a nice lady took us under her wing. She did everything for us – she fed us, gave us new clothes and work in her business.

"But then she got involved in a near-deletion experience, and she became different. She wasn't herself for minutes, and instead of us being her employees she treated us like slaves. She even deleted two guys – and, get this, they were still walking around and talking like they were normal, processing sprites."

Mouse's energy ran ice-cold, and she traded a wide-eyed glance with Ray. The concern on his face only confirmed her worries. She slowly turned back to Dean to hear the rest of his past, though she had a pretty good idea of how it would turn out.

"Then she tried to delete us," the 19-hour-old continued. "Minutes ago we knew that it wasn't her, and then we found out the truth – she was infected, by not just any virus, but a super-virus called Daemon. You've probably heard of her."

Mouse couldn't prevent a snorting laugh from escaping her throat. "Ah believe that's the understatement of the hour, little brother."

Dean paused to send her a look of slight annoyance before he wrapped up the story. "So Daemon infected the nice lady, and then she went on to infect all these other rich people – all women, too – before she got into the Guardian Academy and deleted everyone else. We retreated into the underground levels and abandoned warehouses" – he gestured around them with exaggerated flourish – "and we've been fighting the good fight for hours."

"And who's we'?" Ray asked.

"Me, my folks, these people here – by the way, those two near the doorway are Tulin and Dado, two of my closest advisors. Everybody else should be at our little command center', unless they've been sent off on scouting missions like we have. Speaking of, we should get back. Come on, and I'll show you the way." 

As Dean led the way through another door Mouse and Ray hadn't seen before, the young leader halted and blinked slowly. He hurried back to the largest table, in the center of the room, and scanned the room once, then twice, looking for something unknown to Mouse. His green eyes narrowed thoughtfully, then suddenly widened. He spun around and looked at Tulin and Dado for anxious confirmation. Tulin nodded slowly, but he said nothing.

"Wait." Dado, noticing the silent exchange between the two young men, was the one who dared to speak. "Where's Rapi?"

"Who?" Mouse asked.

"The sprite who was keeping an eye on the door," Dean answered absently without looking at her. He scanned their group, then brought his gaze to Dado. "She was here a _nano_ ago." He narrowed his eyes and pushed past Dado, his gaze on something else.

Dean shone his lantern over the floor, revealing the imprints of boots in the dusty floor. He looked at the others and announced grimly, "These aren't our prints. You know what this means?"

"Guardians," a rebel answered.

"She's been taken away," Tulin whispered. As he spoke, soft mutterings rose from the group.

  
Dean's face tightened, and Mouse saw the fierce, hard look of an experienced warrior in her little brother. "She's been gone for less than half a micro; we've still got time. Let's go."

The other rebels nodded and wordlessly slipped out through a doorway. Mouse and Ray were left standing in the dark war room before they broke into a run after the retreating sprites.

They saw the group slinking along the streets in the dim light. They caught up with Dean, who was in the head of the group, jogging along as he issued instructions.

"Where exactly are we going, mate?" Ray asked.

Dean looked at Mouse and Ray, really looked, as if he had only just noticed that they had followed him. He shook his head, sending some hair loose from the braid into his face. "Lucia Calamar's mansion, in Sector 9. She's Daemon's new host, but she might not be for long," he added.

"Host? What's going on? What do you mean?" Mouse demanded.

"Look, Moira, I can't really explain right now," Dean protested.

"We both need to know what's going on," Mouse shot back. "And Ah told you – Ah'm _Mouse_."

Dean glanced ahead at the rest of his group, then back to his sister. "Here's the footnotes version: the Guardians kidnapped Rapi, and if we don't hurry, they'll delete her and use her to further Daemon's control. Now, come on, we have to get to her." He turned and ran to catch up with the other rebels.

Mouse was still confused, but she listened to Dean. As her brother reached the refugees, Ray touched Mouse's arm. "Come on, luv," he said. She nodded, and they mounted his Baud and set off after Dean.

Dean showed his troops and Mouse and Ray an opening through a manhole on the street, and they all slipped inside; Ray even found that the opening was large enough to fit his Baud through. The rebels moved swiftly through intricate underground tunnels, splashing through murky sewer waters as occasional sounds from the cement above them echoed through the dark tunnels.

They emerged in the richest sectors of the Supercomputer, where the wealthiest sprites and binomes resided in lavish mansions, waited on hand and foot by various servants -- or at least, they used to. Mouse wasn't sure, with the present situation, if even the wealthiest and most protected sprites hadn't fallen prey to Daemon's invasion.

Dean led the group stealthily through the cement streets broken up by thick, dark vines streaked with bright veins, as the two Mainframe sprites followed silently. Mouse knew the Supercomputer's rich sectors rather well -- since many a job had been done for or against the lords and ladies of the system -- but Dean's knowledge of this place was five times better than all she had learned in her hours in the Supercomputer.

They finally reached their destination, the mansion of one Lucia Calamar. Mouse hadn't the faintest idea who this woman was, but she sounded just like the young Countess Dot, Matrix, and AndrAIa were off protecting: a pretty young woman with units and power. What a "host" had to do with the process, Mouse really didn't know.

Lucia Calamar's mansion was a huge, solid-looking building; apparently, the fight for control of the Supercomputer hadn't yet reached it. The large house was surrounded by a high outer wall of solid gray stone. The top of the wall was covered with coils of barbed wire, and shards of glass had been mixed into the cement so that they stood out in jagged-edged spikes -- a deadly consequence for anyone who dared climb the walls.

Fortunately, the refugee group was experienced in sneaking into rich sprites' homes and had extended their underground system to burrow under the walls and enter the mansion. "We are the true creatures of the underworld," Dean wryly told Mouse as the other sprites streamed past him to go into the opening.

When they entered the mansion through a passage into the kitchen area, the inside was strangely deserted; not a whisper of air stirred the still drapes over the huge windows, and a visible layer of dust had settled over the chairs and table seen from the nearby drawing room.

"Lucia Calamar has already been infected," Dean took a nano to explain, "so there's no need to proceed with deceit. Everybody _knows_ it's Daemon, so they just avoid the rich sector, to keep their lives." 

"Chief, we've got a reading," Tulin interrupted from a few feet away, and, with a well-contained sigh, Dean strode over to his two closest advisors. Within moments of hushed discussion, Dean raised his voice and instructed them to move in what he thought was the right direction.

"Tulin says he detected body heat several rooms ahead of us, in the estimated center of the mansion," Dean announced. He led the rebels through the next empty rooms, his pace steadily speeding up as they drew closer to their destination. His chest tightened in a mixture of anticipation and sudden fear, and he fervently – and helplessly, he realized – hoped that they weren't too late.

They burst into a large bedroom (probably belonging to Lucia Calamar), Dean in the lead, the other rebels and Mouse and Ray following. There they met a horrific sight.

There were no Guardians visible in the room; however, Dean sent out rebels to each end of the room to double- and triple-check before everyone entered. The sprite named Rapi was on her knees, fighting against something. Her body arched forward, but her arms were bound behind her by thick, tendril-like things. She was screaming protests and pleas as a dark, snake-like form pushed itself into the back of her neck. The snake gained access to her neck, and she gave a pained scream and fell limp.

"Rapi, no!" Dean screamed, sprinting across the room towards her. The rebels immediately rushed after him. They knelt by Rapi's form and tried to free her. Dado fought at the tendrils that held Rapi's arms while Tulin pulled out a knife and sawed at the snake.

Tulin's knife severed the snake. It gave a screech and sprayed black liquid on his hand. He pulled back at the right moment, but some liquid still spattered on his hand. It hissed against his skin, and he cried out in pain as he cradled his hand against his side.

Rapi jerked forward, and Dean caught her.

The snake-thing screeched and lashed out blindly. Mouse unsheathed her katana, but the snake lunged for her, and she darted away, holding the weapon at arm's length. The snake coiled in on itself and rushed again at her, even though she was easily able to dodge it. It was then that she realized that the snake's charges weren't blind. It was lunging for female sprites.

Mouse raised her katana, and when the snake next lashed out at her, she brought her katana down, neatly slicing the snake in half.

Dean hefted Rapi's unconscious form against his shoulder. He held his sleeve against the back of her neck to staunch the flow of energy. Looking at the other rebels, he commanded, "Let's go."

They moved through the sewers even faster than before, as Rapi's worsening wound urged them onward. Instead of emerging back on to the street outside the warehouse where brother and sister had been reunited, they instead came into a larger warehouse that reminded Mouse of the underground hideout they had used in Mainframe when fighting against Megabyte. The shabbily clothed sprites and binomes who passed by paused in their work as the group rushed in.

Dean, helping to carry Rapi, gave instructions. "Dado, take Tulin to the med center and have them fix his hand. Come on, guys, let's get Rapi somewhere she can lie down."

A much older sprite caught up with them. He had the same hair as Dean, though it was shot through with gray and white. "Dean, what happened?" he demanded.

"It's all right, Dad," Dean said hurriedly. "The Guardians almost got Rapi, but we saved her," he explained with a small smile. "Be right back."

  
The sprite nodded as they headed for a corner of the warehouse. He turned around and came face-to-face with Mouse. A startled gasp escaped his throat, and he jerked back as if he had seen a ghost.

Mouse backstepped, and Ray steadied a hand against her back. She stared in stunned silence at her father.

"Moira?" the man asked in a whisper. He sounded half-hearted, as if he didn't believe it himself. The pure grief that made this wonderful, commanding sprite look like a tired shell was so great that Mouse didn't have the heart to correct him.

"Yes," Mouse managed to choke out. She should have thought that if Dean were alive, her parents would be too . . . but she hadn't even let the former set in. . . .

Garret enveloped her in his arms and hugged her fiercely. He pulled back and stared long and hard at her. "It's been so long, Moira– fourteen hours," he whispered in disbelief.

"Ah know," Mouse said softly, "believe me, Ah know." Tears shimmered in her eyes, but she blinked before allowing them to fall. Garret noticed this and reflected, _Seems like my little girl's still as tough as ever. _But seeing how different she looked -- the static hair, the intricate tattoos and scars that marked her face and arms -- he feared that she'd been through a horrible amount of trauma that had _forced_ her to toughen up.

But now he would know what had happened to his dear Moira. Garret had been given his daughter back, and he planned to reconcile for everything that had passed over the last fourteen hours. It would take a long time to fully understand Moira again, but Garret would gladly do it. A laugh worked itself free from his rusty throat, and suddenly his chest felt incredibly light. Garret smiled in spite of himself. "We have a lot of catching up to do," he said quietly.

"Ah couldn't agree with you more --" Mouse paused and swallowed hard. She wanted desperately to use one more word, but she didn't know if she could, after all this time. Finally, she wet her lips and spoke. "-- Dad."

Garret's smile broadened, and tears flowed down his cheeks. He hugged Mouse tightly to him, and for a few suspended nanoseconds everything was all right. Mouse looked over her father's shoulder and caught sight of a petite, muscled woman with curly blond hair and rosy skin. Her breath stuck in her throat, and she barely managed to stumble toward her mother and wrap her arms around her body.

Gloria wasn't sure if she should believe that her daughter was actually _here_, actually alive and breathing. One look into Garret's eyes let her know that she wasn't imagining things, and so returned Moira's tight hug. For the first time in fourteen hours, Gloria's steel wall of emotions was broken down by a flood of tears.


	22. Leave it Behind, PART 2

CHAPTER TEN

LEAVE IT BEHIND, PART 2

Matrix was seated on the cold bed in his cell, leaning heavily against the wall. His breathing was shallow but rhythmic, indicating that he had found some snatch of rest. His left eye moved back and forth under the eyelid, stuck was he in some dream from the past. The cybernetic implant in his right eye also spun constantly. A soft red light shone from under the eyelid, casting an eerie glow on the hard stone floor.

He was never free of the icy female voice that tugged at his processor, making his entire body hurt and leaving him breathless with fear and anger. He didn't even know who was haunting him, but he suspected it to be a sprite or binome he had deleted sometime in his past, back to make him feel sorry for the deed.

__

But I do feel sorry, he thought sadly. _User, I do._

Some time ago, the nagging voice had begun to chant a childhood rhyme he could somehow recall from his hours as a young sprite in the Twin City. She continued with the same stanza, repeating it over and over in an eerie singsong; by now, Matrix was ready to take her words to core. He had even considered, in his tired, feverish mind, somehow blasting that voice out of his head — he didn't care how, he just wanted her out — or even putting himself out of his misery.

__

Nobody likes you

Everybody hates you

Why don't you use your Gun?

The cyber-eye made a whirring sound as it swiveled back and forth in his socket. Somewhere in the back of Matrix's mind he registered a slight ache by rotating the implant so much, but at the moment there was nothing he could do.

__

That's what you shot Bob with

Hit `im in the stomach

Now he's gonna die and you should die too

"NO!" Matrix screamed in the still night air, startling the guards who patrolled the cell block by flinging himself from his cot. He looked almost to crash through the bars, but he halted and clutched his temples, shaking his head from side to side in desperation. It was wrong; this, this . . . thing inside his head wasn't supposed to know about the ambush. Matrix couldn't remember ever deleting or hurting a woman, but her voice was so painfully familiar that it must have been someone from his past.

__

You're almost right, Enzo. She was here again — Matrix whipped his head around, but he could see no one — somewhere. After his initial fright, he remembered what the voice had just said; she had called him "Enzo," as if she knew him well enough to be on speaking terms, and it pissed him off. The added anger sent strange warmth through his body, combating the frigid grip of the woman's voice and giving him more strength.

He cautiously raised his head and surveyed the small cell, but of course no one was there; this was all in his mind. "Who are you?" Matrix asked the air.

__

I don't think you're allowed to know that.

Matrix ignored her reply; he hadn't expected much, anyway. "What did I do to you?" he asked. "How do I know you?"

__

Well, well, well. Very intriguing questions you have there, with more of an answer than you think. Matrix really could have done without the cryptic nature of this voice, but he gritted his teeth and listened. _I'm an enemy, let us say; then you know that you've done things to me, and I to you. As for how I know you . . . _Matrix could have sworn she chuckled. _I know you so far back you would be astounded. I've watched you, boy, since you were a tiny runt. Those were the good old seconds, weren't they?_

"There are a lot of things in this Net that I don't like," he told the empty room, "and one of them is guessing games."

__

Oh, come now. It's not as if you've fought an entire squad of viruses in the last minute. I thought I'd be easier to recognize.

"Daemon!" Matrix gasped, hardly daring to believe it himself. Yet, it made perfect, sickening sense that Daemon had had him under her control all along.

__

Ding, ding, ding! We have a winner, Daemon mocked, the laugh clear in her voice. _I'm surprised it took you this long to figure it out._

Matrix struggled to swallow, but his throat was painfully dry. "How long?" he rasped, dreading her answer.

__

Like I said, I've known you longer than you've known me. Matrix still couldn't figure out what she had to say, though he strained his processor to understand. _I think our first real meeting in Mainframe came with a certain Game._ It was several nanos later that the memory finally returned to Matrix, and he sat up straight with a soft cry of disbelief.

__

. . . Something struck him in the arm, and Matrix whirled around with a cry. His eyes narrowed as he saw the small shape of a drone, tiptoeing along on its spindly legs. The drone was holding a small gun that it leveled at him. Matrix shot at the drone, but it dodged the shot and skittered away

Matrix suddenly remembered the thing that had struck him. He picked at his arm and finally pulled out a small object, which he flung away. Matrix rubbed his arm vigorously, feeling a stinging feeling that was slowly fading, not noticing the slight glow of green veins that lasted for only a nanosecond. . . .

"That long?" he whispered, his shoulders slumping heavily. "I — I remembered, but I never thought —"

__

That's the thing, Daemon hissed. _You never think._ Matrix's body gave an involuntary shudder; those were the exact words she had said to him the night of the ambush, and there was no doubt now that she was the one who had controlled him the entire time.

__

That's right, Enzo, Daemon told him, her voice as hard and cold as stone. _I own you, and you'll do whatever I order you to._

"N — no," Matrix gasped; he was strangely exhausted, and he struggled to think straight. But they both knew he couldn't fight her; she was just too strong.

And yet, something inside him still screamed for justice. Even if his horribly wretched life couldn't be saved, Daemon had to be stopped before she exacted her terrible power on those he loved.

"I — I'll tell Dot, or Bob," Matrix threatened the air. "I'll tell somebody — anybody — that it's your fault I'm like this."

__

Oh, really? Daemon asked; she sounded amused. _And what would you be able to say, exactly? That "the virus made you do it"? _She laughed, the very sound causing Matrix's skin to crawl.

Struggling to ignore her slowly tightening power, Matrix turned wild eyes on the two guards who had paused in front of his cell. "They'll believe me!" he cried. "They have to."

The first guard traded an anxious glance with the other. Both tightened their grips on their weapons.

Matrix slid to his knees, his hands curled around the thick iron bars that separated him from the guards. "You've gotta believe me," he pleaded with them. "She's inside my head, inside my body. She made me shoot him. It wasn't me." His voice rose. "Tell Dot it wasn't me. Tell `DrAIa I love her and I would never hurt her!" When the guards said nothing and began to slowly back away, Matrix rattled the bars and yelled, "Please! Don't go! You're my only hope. _Don't go!_" 

The second guard, a novice compared to the older guard he was paired with, looked nervously at the other. The older CPU, a veteran of wars and hardened by his core-breaking experiences, shook his head minutely. "It's a trick," he murmured to his companion. "He's trying to psyche us out by acting random. Believe me, it's been done before." 

"I'm not random!" Matrix sobbed. "Why don't you believe me? I didn't want to do it, but she made me. They all made me do it!" 

"Like I said," the older guard assured his younger counterpart, "it's all an act."

Rage surged through Matrix's body suddenly, and he made as if to tear the bars apart. The older CPU leapt forward in a flash and stabbed Matrix's arm with a stun rod. Matrix hissed and yanked his arms back, then fled to a corner of his cell and whimpered under his breath. His anger was fading, to be replaced by a hysterical feeling of helplessness.

__

You did a remarkable job in convincing those guards of your innocence, Daemon commented dryly._ And look — you're barely fighting anymore. It's only a matter of time until I get the pleasure of infecting you fully._

And she began her singsong rhyme again.

Gloria had ecstatically given Mouse a tour of the meager shelter; then she had been called away to plan another ambush that would take place in a few seconds. She had reluctantly left Mouse, but the hacker was sort of glad for the solitude. She needed time to think; that was the understatement of the hour, actually. She wasn't sure if she could handle all of these good things happening, all at once. First, Ray was uninfected – then her family, who she had thought deleted, had lived for all these hours. It seemed too good to be true, and yet it all was true.

Mouse had seen the war rooms and the dormitories where the rebels slept, but her visit had been cut off at the medical center. She remembered that Tulin, one of the rebels who had been sprayed by the snake at Lucia Calamar's mansion, was getting his hand treated; the doctor had also managed to staunch the flow of blood from the wound in Rapi's neck. Out of the corner of her eye Mouse saw Dean duck into the rebels' infirmary. She silently followed him inside to the makeshift beds where the injured lay.

Rapi was curled up in a corner in a bundle of blankets. Her clothes had been torn and stained with data while fighting Daemon's Guardians, but the rebels had accumulated extra clothes over the last few minutes. From those they had cobbled a loose outfit for Rapi. Now she slept peacefully, with a thick bandage covering the back of her neck.

Dean reached out his hand and stroked Rapi's hair with a gentleness that seemed as alien as his practiced commandeering of earlier.

Dean turned abruptly and came face-to-face with Mouse. His eyes widened in momentary surprise, then he smiled. "Oh, hey, Sis."

"Hi, Dean," Mouse answered. "Ah was wonderin' if Ah could talk ta ya?"

"Sure." With a last look at Rapi's prone form, Dean and Mouse ducked under the tent's flap.

As they walked past groups of rebels, Mouse asked, "First — how do ya feel about Rapi?"

Dean's cheeks darkened slightly, and he glanced down with a small grin on his face. "I . . . may have feelings for Rapi. She's been with us for a few hours now, and — and we share the same goal, so we've been able to work closely for some time."

Mouse couldn't help but grin. "Somebody's got a crush," she teased in a singsong; Dean narrowed his eyes, which only made her smile widen. Mouse hooked her hands in her belt and leaned against the wall. "Ah've actually missed this, ya know," she commented.

Dean grinned good-naturedly. "What, busting my chops?"

"That's what you've got a sister for," Mouse retorted, lightly slugging him in the shoulder. She suddenly grimaced, and her arm dropped limply to her side; she glanced away before she caught the fleeting grief that stole over Dean's features. "Ah'm . . . Ah'm sorry," she muttered. "Ah didn't mean –"

He sighed and took a similar position on the wall next to her. "It's all right." They both knew it wasn't. 

Mouse mirrored his sigh. "Ah knew it was all too good to be true. We're all together again, `cept for Paige." It hadn't been just Mouse who had been separated from her parents and siblings; her little sister, eleven hours younger than she and Dean's twin but beloved to her nonetheless, had been caught by Guardians when their system was attacked. Not only grief but horrible guilt had plagued Mouse for hours after; she still heard the little 0.4-hour-old's screams at night.

Mouse opened a compartment on her belt and withdrew a black-and-gray icon. "Ah found this after Paige — after — when Ah was getting out of the system," she said quietly, and offered it to Dean. "Ah know it was horrible to lose her, but Ah thought you would've wanted this. . . ."

The look on Dean's face spoke volumes of how his twin's deletion had devastated him. He took the icon from Mouse without a word, but he clasped her hand gratefully. He turned the icon over in his hands, staring thoughtfully at it.

"She would have been beautiful," Mouse said gently.

Dean tried to imagine his sister 1.9 like him, but he saw no distinct image in his mind's eye, just a million different pictures of a beautiful young woman with striking red hair, the sprite herself never clear. He attempted to smile and answered, "Yeah. She would have."

The two stood in awkward silence, staring at one another. Countless horrible hours separated them; so much pain and change had warped them from innocent young children to grim, battle-hardened adults.

As stunned as Mouse had been by seeing Dean, the young man felt as if his image of his older sister had been blurred and reshaped itself into someone he had never met before. All he could remember, in his terrified mind's eye, was a slender, fallen girl with dark red hair as his father, panting, whisked him away from a burning home and a ravaged system.

Dean hesitantly reached up his hand and touched Mouse's fiery hair. "You've been through so much," he whispered, almost in awe.

Mouse looked at him, almost an adult, and she felt an overwhelming sadness. "So have you," she answered softly. She cautiously grasped Dean's hand and squeezed reassuringly, an unusual gesture that seemed to console them both.

Eventually, they let go. Another silence followed, but this one was warmer, relaxed, and brightened by smiles.

Dean's mouth twitched slightly in amusement, and he let out a good-natured sigh to break the quiet stillness. "I'm supposed to check up on Tulin -- he hurt his hand, you know," he said apologetically.

Mouse nodded. "Ah understand." Dean started for the doorway, but he stopped short as a sudden idea occurred to him. He turned back and haltingly spoke: "D'you think we could, you know . . . er, talk some more later?"

"That'd be nice," Mouse said, then winced at her own blandness. "Ah mean . . . Ah would like that."

Dean flashed her a grin. "Me too." He slipped through the doorway and was gone.

Strong arms slipped around Mouse's waist and drew her tightly against a hard chest. Glancing over her shoulder, she smiled when she saw Ray's face. "Hey, honey," she greeted him. "Whatcha been doin'?"

Ray kissed her cheek and was content to hold her close to him for the passing of several moments. "Your mother patched me up very well," he answered. "Lady made sure all my scrapes and bruises were cleaned and taken care of. Glad to see you've been reconciling with your little bro."

Mouse shrugged. "It's not so much reconciling as catching up. It's been awhile since Ah've seen my family."

"Fourteen hours, huh?" Ray asked. When Mouse glanced back at him, he mimicked her shrug. "I've heard a bit about your family history; funny you've neglected to let me in on _any_ of this --"

"Ray." Her voice was weary. "Believe me, it's not a happy story to tell. Ah lost hours of my life, hours Ah wish Ah could have back. . . . All because of those damned Guardians." Her voice drifted off, and Mouse shut her eyes as stinging memories scored new, red-hot slashes over the scars of her past.

Again Ray saw Mouse staring at the Guardian Academy with pain and unmistakable grief. Slowly, the pieces began to come together for him.

"Seems like everyone we meet here you somehow know or are connected with," he commented. "First Ethan, now Dean and the others —" His expression turned thoughtful. "Mouse, I don't know much about you before you came to Mainframe — in fact, I know almost _nothing_ about you. Did you live here, in the Supercomputer?"

"Mah past is what it is: the past," Mouse answered firmly. "Ah'm here now, and Ah don't wanna relive it if Ah don't have to."

Ray nodded, gave her a peck on the cheek, and removed his arms from her waist; he took her answer as "yes."

"Ray." Her voice was stronger. Mouse grabbed his hand and allowed him to pull her into a tight hug. She turned her face up to him for a kiss. She needed his comfort -- his love -- more than she ever had, and for once she wasn't afraid to admit it.

Dot obsessively checked on Bob, several times a second when she could. She hated torturing herself with watching his pale, still form lying on a white bed, but it was worse to not know if anything — even the slightest detail — had changed.

Unfortunately for Dot, life wasn't easy these seconds and she didn't have all the time in the Net to watch Bob's unchanging vital signs. She was forced to sit through meetings with sprites who were pulling their acts together after the ambush, not to mention speak with CPUs and her Mainframe companions, but she still took advantage of every opportunity to sneak into Bob's room and sit by his side. When she took his hand once, she was shocked to feel how hot it was. Her gaze immediately flicked to his vital signs. Nothing had changed, but that wasn't necessarily a good thing. Although he hadn't gotten any worse, the fever she had noticed from the previous second was still present. Tiny beads of sweat stood out on his pale blue skin, and his temperature was as high as that of the Core in Mainframe.

Her visit was cut short by an apologetic message from Countess Avina, and Dot reluctantly stood up and stretched before leaving the hospital room. Before closing the door, she looked back at Bob's still face and whispered, "I love you."

Dot suffered through another series of meetings in which Azrael's wealthy leaders already were planning the reconstruction of the destroyed Principle Office. When the meeting was finally over, she politely excused herself and rushed to the hospital's second floor.

Waiting for the lift, Dot saw two sprites walking by. She paid them no notice, until she recognized AndrAIa's long, teal hair. Dot did a double-take and realized that it _was_ the Game sprite, walking hand-in-hand with Kode. This was the second time Dot had seen the ocher-skinned man walking with AndrAIa, one arm slung casually over her shoulders, and it gave Dot an odd feeling. Dot wasn't exactly sure if she should trust Kode with the emotionally fragile Game sprite; Matrix hadn't seemed to like Kode at all, and Matrix _was_ AndrAIa's lover.

"Hey, lady, you're blocking the way," a man snapped, startling Dot out of her thoughts. A small crowd of sprites and binomes were trying to get on to the lift, and Dot was standing in front of the doors.

She murmured an apology and threaded her way past two large binomes, and the crowd filed past her on to the lift. Dot let it go and hurried after the retreating figures of AndrAIa and Kode, who were approaching the doors of the hospital. Dot halted and quickly thought over the situation. She had to go see Bob — she would delete if she didn't check up on him — but again she wasn't about to leave AndrAIa alone with Kode.

Luck was with her, because Dot spotted a man with the Azraelian coat of arms clearly emblazoned on his uniform. "Hi, I'm Dot Matrix, Command.com of Mainframe," she introduced herself. "Would you please watch those two sprites, and tell me if anything happens to the woman?" Though a little perplexed by the odd request, the guard nodded and went to do as she had asked. Feeling relieved, Dot hurried back to take the lift to the second floor.

When she reached Bob's room, she was met with a sight from her nightmares. A doctor and three nurses surrounded Bob inside, calling to one another about the patient's condition. His vital signs had lowered even further, and Dot's core-com hammered in the same rhythm as the dull beeping that emitted from the machine beside Bob's bed.

She forcibly jolted herself out of her numbed stupor and hurried to the doorway. As she tried to push her way inside, however, nurses gently but firmly shoved her back outside. Dot was trapped on the other side of the glass, unable to be near Bob as Dr. Qwerty bent over something on Bob's stomach. Dot gnawed on her lower lip until it bled; her mind immediately jumped to the worst possible situation, and suddenly it became hard for her to breathe.

Finally, the activity in the hospital room subsided, and Dr. Qwerty moved away from Bob to wash his hands in a nearby sink. Dot cautiously approached the doorway, and this time no one stopped her from walking inside. "Doctor," she began softly, "what's wrong?"

Dr. Qwerty's head snapped up abruptly; then his eyes softened upon seeing Dot's pale, drawn face. "I'm sorry if we frightened you there, Miss Matrix," he apologized as he pulled on a fresh pair of gloves. "The wound started festering, you see, and my nurses and I had to fix it immediately. We couldn't afford any interruptions or hysterics, if you'll mind my saying."

Dot wasn't insulted, only grateful that she hadn't lost Bob for good. "The wound — festered?" she repeated slowly, unsure of what he meant.

Dr. Qwerty nodded. "The gunshot wound reopened and must have gotten infected by something in the air. That's why Bob has been experiencing a fever. I'm sorry, Miss Matrix, but I hadn't gotten time to check on Bob all second until just now, what with all the other patients my colleagues and I have had to attend to."

"I understand," Dot automatically answered, sitting down heavily in a chair.

"As it is," Dr. Qwerty continued, "there are hundreds of patients in this hospital with varying injuries, some as serious or more deadly than Bob's. I'm needed to perform surgeries or treatments on most of these patients, and each second my work gets harder, not easier. I'm trying my best to check up on Bob daily, but things are getting more complicated, as you might know." Dot nodded mechanically. "So I've assigned a younger doctor as my assistant or stand-in if there's an emergency and I can't get there in time. His name is Dr. Leonor, and I'll introduce you to him when he has time. He's also been hard at work. There's not a single doctor or nurse who hasn't seen deletion take the life of a sprite. It's a sad thing." The doctor's eyes darkened, and somewhere deep inside Dot she felt sadness for him.

Silence stretched between them for almost a full millisecond, as Dot stared at Bob, noting how sallow his skin looked. Her eyes were drawn to the oozing wound on his stomach, and tears leaked from her eyelids. She sniffled, and the tears fell from her eyes to splash on the bedspread. Dot curled her arms around her elbows and struggled to compose herself. After a few moments, she opened her eyes and looked again at Dr. Qwerty. "Thank you, Doctor," she said quietly, "for taking care of Bob. Would it be all right for me to stay with him now?"

Dr. Qwerty's smile was full of grim understanding. "Of course, Miss Matrix."

Tears shimmered in AndrAIa's large, aquamarine eyes. "It's so horrible," she whispered hoarsely, unconsciously tightening her grip on Kode's hand.

The orange sprite, gleeful to act the part of the sympathetic lover, gave her a reassuring squeeze. He couldn't dredge up a bit of care for the sprites and binomes who had been deleted in the recent ambush on Azrael, but for AndrAIa he let out a mournful-sounding sigh and murmured, "I know."

AndrAIa stared at the decimated Principle Office without really seeing it. Fires still raged over the blackened roof, but they were being taken care of by firefighters. Swarms of CPUs — looking like tiny beetles from the hill on which the two observers stood — had gathered around the eastern section of the P.O. That entire point had caved in on itself, and CPUs still worked, several seconds later, to uncover bodies or simply faded icons from the rubble. 

Darkness flitted across her eyes, but only for a brief moment. "I remember . . ." she began haltingly. "In the Games, there were so many systems like this, ravaged so horribly. But there was one . . . back when we were so little . . ." Her voice trailed off, and AndrAIa shook her head. "I can't remember anything else. Can you, Kode?"

"Hrm," was his reply. Though he'd given AndrAIa the basic story that they had been Game-hopping since they were little sprites, when they had lost a terrible fighting Game, he had been unable to give her any specific details other than the hour he had known her, when they were 1.7.

"There's just so much darkness," AndrAIa continued, "and pain. So many people were deleted." She shut her eyes firmly, but a huge shiver jolted her slender frame.

An idea had been forming in Kode's mind, and now he had found the perfect moment to launch it in a seemingly casual way. He hugged AndrAIa warmly and waited until whatever had plagued her processor passed. When she reopened her eyes, he placed a hand under her chin and tilted her head up so that their eyes met. "How about I take you away from all this?" he offered softly, carefully watching her face for her reaction. Confusion and indecision clouded her beautiful features, but Kode refused to let her look away.

"We can leave this system," he assured her. "We're not needed very much — and honestly, baby, you need a nice, relaxing place to get some well-earned rest. You've been through a maelstrom, you know."

A small smile played across her lips. "You're right," AndrAIa said softly. "I — I would like that." Pleased that his plan was working out so well, Kode couldn't resist grinning in triumph. A flash of color over his shoulder caused him to immediately whip his head around. Again, AndrAIa's forehead creased in a worried frown. "But what about Dot?"

Another glance over his shoulder confirmed his thoughts; he was being followed. "I'll go VidWindow her right now," Kode told her. "You stay right here, and I'll be back in a few milliseconds." AndrAIa nodded dutifully — she didn't think to do anything otherwise — and seated herself on the grassy hill as Kode jogged several paces downhill. The Game sprite drew her knees up to her chest and rested her head on her arms. Again, that itching feeling in her processor tried to alert her to a faint recollection floating at the edges of her memory.

AndrAIa watched the clean-up of the destroyed Principle Office in introspective silence. Her memories were a dark, blurry mess to her, but she knew, deep in her core, that the sight of this desecration touched her deeper, as if she had experienced the same pain and desolation first-hand. She shut her eyes and drew in a deep breath. She held it for the passing of several moments, then slowly exhaled as she opened her eyes and gazed again at Azrael's Principle Office with a new level of understanding.

Two milliseconds passed, and Kode climbed the grassy hill again. "Let's go, honey," he said, but AndrAIa seemed not to hear him.

"I remember now," the Game sprite slowly said, her eyes still focused on the Principle Office. "It was the fourth system we found after — that Game we lost, and it was destroyed. You and I were truly afraid then, when we realized that we would be seeing systems like that for what seemed like the rest of our lives. The system was called Slovdict."

Internally, Kode screamed in rage. If AndrAIa were already regaining some of her memories, it couldn't be long before it all came back to her, and then he would be one deleted sprite. But he'd have to speed up his plans before that time came, that was all. Kode plastered a false smile on his face and reached out a hand to AndrAIa. She took his hand and pulled herself to her feet.

"Dot completely understands that we need to go," Kode told her. "She said to tell you goodbye for her. Now, we have to be going soon." But AndrAIa lingered for another several nanoseconds, and with each nano Kode's patience frayed a little more. He just wanted to get out of Azrael and tour the Net with AndrAIa as _his_ sprite — as his lover, eventually.

"Come, let's get out of here." Content with having a last look at Azrael's ruined Principle Office, AndrAIa nodded and allowed Kode to drag her away.

Down the grassy hill and behind a huge statue of one of Azrael's past rulers, Kode had gone to send a message to Dot, but there was no sign of a VidWindow being opened. There was only a guard with the bright colors of Azrael printed on his uniform. He lay on his back in the dirt, and three huge gashes, from razor-sharp claws, were slashed across his chest.

What with Bob's surgery and the slow reconstruction of Azrael, Dot hadn't been able to see Matrix for a few seconds. She was sort of glad for the excuse not to visit her incriminated brother; she knew that it physically ailed her to see again the pain in his eyes that she had witnessed when he had first been condemned.

If it were possible, he looked ten times worse. His eyes were sunken, and dark circles were visible under them. His skin was decidedly gray, and when he first turned his head to acknowledge the arrival of Dot and several Azraelian guards, there was a faint greenish light at his temples that made Dot's core-com almost stop.

"What in the Web happened to you?" Dot gasped.

Matrix's answer was one word, spoken in a flat voice bereft of emotion: "Daemon."

"Oh, User," Dot breathed, reaching up one hand to cover her mouth. She regarded Matrix with shimmering, fear-wide eyes for several silent moments, unsure of what to say or do. She should have known that Daemon would start infecting whatever Mainframers and Azraelians she could, but the unexpected blow stung fiercely.

"I —" she began when her voice was strong enough, but Matrix waved a hand before she could even think of what else to say. Dot tried again, though. "How long?"

Matrix shrugged; his eyes were on the far wall, and his good eye occasionally twitched. "Since —" The lax posture in his body suddenly turned rigid, and he gasped as if he had lost all control of his vocal cords. His lips moved, but no sound emerged, save for small, wheezing coughs. Finally, he shut his eyes and leaned his head against the wall, and the heaving of his chest slowed. Dot wanted so badly to rush into the cell and comfort him, but she remembered why there were solid iron bars separating them, and she sadly dismissed the helpless thought.

In the silence that followed, Dot's core hammered with deafening volume. Matrix expelled a sigh that made her jump, even though it was merely a breath of air, and reopened his eyes. Dot found that his gaze on her made her uncomfortable, and she glanced away.

"How's Bob?" Matrix asked softly, and Dot could hear real regret and sadness in his voice.

Dot sighed mournfully and gripped the iron bars for support. "He hasn't awakened yet. The doctors are getting worried." 

Matrix bit his lip, feeling a powerful wave of grief and sickening guilt engulf him again. It felt as if he were drowning in these waves, and eventually they would erase him entirely. Daemon's voice appeared again in his mind, and he groaned under his breath, wishing she would just leave him alone. She began her unfortunately true taunts, and Matrix felt his face grow hot with fury.

"It wasn't me," he whispered, as Daemon chanted, _You shot Bob, your closest friend._ "It wasn't me," he continued to protest, but nothing silenced her. "It wasn't me, it wasn't me — you bitch, why won't you believe that it wasn't me!" he finished in a roar, flinging himself up from the ground and screaming until his throat was raw. Dot leapt back, and immediately Azraelian guards surrounded her, their weapons drawn.

But Matrix had forgotten them all. At first, Dot had thought he was talking to her, but now she realized the horrible truth. He was slowly going random, and Daemon was egging him on all the time. There was no way he could be properly defended for his crime.

"Come on, ma'am," one of the CPUs murmured. "He's a lost case."

It was time to check up on Bob, Dot realized. She turned away from Matrix, feeling like a coward as she did so. But she couldn't bear to see him like this. He was falling apart before her eyes.

"It's a shame," one of the other CPUs, an older, grizzled binome, commented as he shook his head. "If he's not tried for voluntary attack, he's sure to be condemned as a nutcase."

The large iron door swung shut, the _clang_ of metal on stone jolting Matrix out of his trance. There was no one with him now; he was alone, like he'd always been. He sniffled suddenly, like a little child on the verge of tears. The moisture in his good eye was quickly replaced with a weary hardness, however, and he whispered, "She's going to destroy us all."

Kode led AndrAIa by the hand through the Principle Office, dodging guards as he wove between rooms until he reached his destination: the hangars. "This way," he told the Game sprite, tugging her toward the small cargo ship Dot had taken to Azrael.

"I flew this ship here," Kode lied easily and within five nanoseconds had the hatch open. AndrAIa stepped inside and seated herself in the copilot's chair. Kode climbed up behind her and pressed a button mounted in the wall. The hatch slid closed behind him with a smooth _whir_. He didn't even spare a glance behind him. After all, he was never going to see this system or these people again.

With every passing second, it got harder and harder to rely on hope. Finally, Matrix spent the endless microseconds lying in his cell like a listless blob, staring at the far wall unblinkingly. For the first few seconds, as Daemon's control had seized his body in a paralyzing grip, his mind had still worked feverishly to concoct a plan of escape. Now even his thoughts were turning sluggish, and the weariness that had taken over his body so short a time ago had sunk its claws into his processor.

During his twelve hours in the Games, he'd been through too many escapes to count, some spectacular, others blind, foolhardy getaways touched by luck. This jail, however, was nothing like the moldy, crumbling cells he'd learned how to break out of. It was of a much more modern design, and the guards that patrolled every second and downtime weren't easily distracted from their posts. 

Now, if he'd had a nice, huge weapon, things would be pleasantly different. Not for the first time, he was sorry that he didn't carry any weapons besides Gun. The thing was, he'd always relied on his one firearm to blast his way out of tough situations. He'd never had to use another type of weapon to protect himself. Then again, he'd never expected to be trapped like this.

Matrix sighed, the sound echoing against the stone walls of his cell. What a basic bits-for-brains he was, to not even have the slightest plan for escape. He'd scrutinized every corner of the cell with his cybernetic eye, searching out every detail in the stone blocks for some tiny hope of finding a way out of this prison.

Matrix laughed without a shred of mirth. He had to hand it to Daemon – she was a master of breaking. This was worse than any torture she could have devised for him. Helpless as the Infection ate at his body and mind with agonizing slowness, he could do nothing to fight it.

__

No, his mind feebly responded, though it was a mere whisper in the thunderstorm of Daemon's voice in his mind. _No, no, no, no, nononononono_, he repeated, concentrating as hard as he could, and it was this one tiny act of strength that kept him alive.

The cell door opened with a hiss and _whir_ of mechanics, and four binome guards stepped into the cell. Three hung back while one took several steps forward, his one eye tracking Matrix cautiously. "Enzo Matrix, we will be taking you to the Azraelian courts for your sentence," he announced.

__

No . . . no . . . no . . . no . . . Matrix swallowed thickly, his bright eyes focused on the binome. The Azraelian guards may have been better trained and more disciplined than the Mainframe CPUs (as Matrix had learned in his seconds in jail), but he was still larger than all four of them put together, and he was acting on the kind of desperation that fueled men who knew they had no hope left except for what stood directly in front of them. In the blink of an eye he had his plan mapped out, clear as crystal.

Matrix sprang to his feet and barreled into the four binomes, shoving them aside and knocking some unconscious in his force. He didn't spare a nano to lock them in his cell; he raced through the cell block as fast as his legs would carry him, adrenaline induced by panic pumping through his veins. He took a sharp turn to the right and darted down another passageway that led to the main part of the Principle Office. His body ached, so unused was he to this exertion after seconds of lying around; his vision was green and blurry at the edges; his ears were filled with the deafening roar of thousands of alarms blaring through every section of the six-pointed P.O.

His mind struggled to process another step of his spur-of-the-moment plan. Which section should he run to? Two sections of the P.O. had been destroyed – the rulers were located in the middle – the docking bays were . . . were . . .

He hurried through the darkest passageways he could find, aware of the footsteps of CPUs behind him, increasing in their sound and strength with every nanosecond. Finally, he burst through a doorway into the docking bay, where the greatest blessing of all awaited him: countless ships of all shapes and sizes. _If ever I've had reason to be thankful to the User, this is it._ He sprinted toward one ship in particular, an inconspicous vehicle – dark gray, nothing real fancy – that probably belonged to a visitor to the system.

A sharp tug sent him reeling backward, and Matrix glared at the Protector who had suddenly materialized at his side. 

"Do you want them to lock us up again?" Matrix demanded angrily. Without waiting for an answer, he ran back to the ship, muttering under his breath about how to open it.

"Lock _you_ up, you mean," Rasta Mon retorted, but Matrix wasn't listening; he continued to murmur to himself. Rasta Mon groaned. "Great, now my Protected's going random."

CPUs appeared in the doorway, shouting orders to stand down, their weapons at the ready. When the two sprites – the binomes were scratching their heads as to how the escaped prisoner had gained a red-skinned companion – refused to comply, one guard shot a file-lock straight at them. It bounced off Rasta Mon's arm, but he wasn't encased in a blue-green box, as a normal sprite would be. 

He shook his arm several times and sighed. "Great, now it's gone to sleep," he groaned, then ducked as another shot whizzed over his head. Having recovered from their shock, the CPUs sent more file-locks at the two sprites.

Matrix grabbed Rasta Mon and shoved him against the hatch of the ship. "Open it," he growled, tugging one of the Protector's arms and slamming it against the ship for emphasis.

Rasta Mon wriggled out of his grip, placing the hand of his good arm on the ship and concentrating; for once, he didn't have a cheeky comment, Matrix was pleased to note. A burst of white energy spread from his palm to the ship, and two nanos later, the hatch slowly ground upward. Before it had opened fully, Matrix ducked into the ship, tugging Rasta Mon behind him. The CPUs hurried forward, continuing to shoot file-locks. Rasta Mon avoided one blue-green shot by twisting to the side, then he was roughly yanked into the ship as Matrix slapped a button to shut the hatch.

"Now I see why you're in such a hurry," Rasta Mon quipped, but his humor was lost on Matrix. The renegade slapped some controls, and the ship's engines slowly powered up. He took a hold of the throttle and tilted it toward him.

CPUs scattered as the ship rose and wobbled toward the exit. They trailed behind it, shooting more file-locks at the hull, but the shots bounced off. With a burst of heat from the engines, Matrix shot through the exit and up into the air.

Guards were leaping into CPU vehicles, but already the stolen ship was growing smaller and smaller as it neared the borders of the system. Soon it was only a dark speck, and then it passed through the bubble separating Azrael from the Web, and it was gone.

Matrix had escaped the jail, but things were far from all right. He had simply gone away from one hell and straight into another.


	23. Leave it Behind, PART 3

CHAPTER TEN

LEAVE IT BEHIND, PART 3

Lying helpless on deletion's doorstep left quite a bit of time in which to recall his fairly short life, Bob realized. Unfortunately, all he could dredge up were the worst details; not exactly memories he would want to relive before he was whisked away without a say in the matter. For this moment, Bob had no notion of how long he'd been drifting, alone, in nothingness.

The nightmare of Matrix shooting him had dissolved, but what replaced it wasn't much better. Bob was currently reliving some of his more unpleasant memories, and the dream-reality through which he presently drifted was none other than the Web. Bob felt as he had when Megabyte had shot him out of Mainframe less than two hours ago: scared, betrayed, angry, alone; and pain began to seep through his body.

__

Not the pain, Bob silently pleaded. He'd never felt that sort of agony before that second, and it remained seared into his memory.

The sensations passing over his body felt like only a slight tingle, but all at once something pricked his skin, drawing energy. Another something pricked him again, and another joined the first two, until Bob felt as if a million tiny creatures were feeding off him.

Something huge, bigger than all the little creatures combined, slashed a fiery claw across Bob's chest, and he struggled to bite back the scream that had been building up in his throat.

Waves of heat swirled across Bob's dangling body and slowly began to curl around first his legs, then floating upward. They wrapped around his chest as snugly as a wool blanket, and twenty times as hot. Already Bob was sweating and feeling very uncomfortable. His discomfort soon turned much more critical as the painfully hot waves slipped around his neck like a noose and forced their way into his nose and mouth. Bob let out a gasp that was quickly smothered. He struggled to take in a breath, but the burning air scorched his lungs and left him wheezing.

Bob found, to his total horror, that he was encased in stifling heat as a bun was stuck in an oven. He labored for breath, but the heat nearly suffocated him. His arms and legs ceased their flailing and his breathing slowed to a dangerously shallow rhythm. He didn't want to fight, when it was entirely useless.

The heat encasing his body tightened, squeezing Bob to the point of being unable to breathe. Then, a force under his feet suddenly propelled him upward, through multicolored swirls of energy, past red and purple clouds, until he was going too fast to pick out individual colors.

__

This isn't right, Bob thought blearily as he sped upwards with all the force of the pod that had launched him into the Web in the first place. He was able to recall his first second in the Web with a stark clarity: he had almost given up fighting when his Guardian programming had reminded him that he hadn't trained at the Academy for so many hours, hadn't dedicated his life to the Guardian Collective, to die in the Web. Furthermore, Bob knew that he couldn't let his friends — especially Dot, mostly Dot — be deleted because _he_ hadn't returned to save them. Bob had then battled his growing exhaustion and broken free of the Web's scalding hold. Every new jolt of pain on his suddenly exposed skin had given him energy to continue. He had used that same boundless energy to survive in the Web for an entire hour.

Now, far away from his memories of that painful, terrifying second, Bob found himself in Mainframe's Core Control Chamber. Looking around him, he recognized the sputtering controls and the red beacons that represented the dying sectors of Mainframe. All this breaking down, and he was the only one who could save them.

User, it was hot in here. Bob felt that stifling panic again, as unbearable heat pressed in from all sides, threatening to overload his already fragile body system. He'd told Dot that he could survive the Core's sheer power longer than a normal sprite, but Bob expected that after too much exposure he too would be deleted.

Bob immediately got to work, manually turning dials and flipping switches, working to keep each sector alive as swarms of deadly pixels ate their way through every cement street, every steel building, coming ever closer to the soft, vulnerable sprites and binomes who cowered in fear.

It was hard work for Bob to keep his mind focused on the task at hand while the smothering heat closed in around him. Soon the muscles in his legs ached from leaping from platform to platform, and his fingers were stiff from punching in the many combinations. His vision blurred momentarily, and Bob stumbled over his feet. He blinked rapidly to keep himself awake, but darkness pressed heavily against him. He took one more gasping breath and slumped to the floor, exhausted beyond his limits.

When Bob had fallen unconscious that second, he hadn't remembered hitting the floor or being lifted by Matrix and AndrAIa and carried back into the War Room. Now, in his hazy mind, instead of losing awareness Bob found himself still very awake and face-down on a cold metal floor.

With a low groan, Bob laboriously pushed himself to his feet. "Bouncing through memories sure isn't easy on the body," he commented wryly, feeling the need for a touch of humor in this situation. He paused in mid-grin, suddenly, and said something again. It only confirmed his suspicions: his voice was lighter and younger, therefore belonging to the whatever-hour-old sprite he had been a number of hours ago.

As he stood, a gasp dropped from his lips, for the room in which he stood was painfully familiar, so much that his entire being ached as his mind dredged up the horrible memory that accompanied this room.

It was the Viral Deletion Chamber in the Supercomputer, and the last time Bob had been here, he had been a brash, foolhardy cadet. User, if only he could take back what he had done on that second!

"I didn't think I'd be seeing you here for quite a while longer, Cadet." A wry female voice spoke from one corner of the room, and Bob nearly snapped his neck by whipping it around to see the speaker. He knew that amused voice anywhere, but Bob had never expected to hear the voice or see the its owner again.

Of course, this war was entirely made up of unexpected things and sprites Bob didn't think he'd ever see. His core-com leapt into his throat when he saw his former teacher and friend, but it was quickly washed away by an overwhelming wave of cold guilt. The word that emerged from his tight throat could have been an awed whisper or a pained moan: "Dixon."

He tore his gaze from his supposedly dead mentor to look down at himself, and he was shocked at his own appearance. This memory was from several hours ago, but Bob stood in this dream/memory looking as he presently did. His skin was sickly, pale and flickering, and he wore his silver Glitch suit. The armor around his stomach was blackened, and the metal had melted and cooled in a grotesque, twisted image. Bob realized that the ache he had felt in his core-com was actually from the festering wound in his abdomen.

Dixon shifted her position from where she lounged against a console. She crossed her arms over her chest, and her lively, intelligent eyes regarded Bob with profound thought and deep interest, at the same time.

Bob managed a trembling smile, which he saw mirrored on Dixon's face a few nanos later. "I guess . . ." he started to say. "I guess I've crossed over from memories into something entirely different and random."

Dot pushed herself to her feet and glared defiantly at the life support system Bob had been hooked up to preceding the festering of his wound. Another wave of helpless sadness overwhelmed her anger, and Dot's core-com constricted painfully. From her position near the doorway, Avi watched wordlessly. In the short time she had known him, Bob had been kind to her; she had grown to like the blue Guardian. Now, she was facing the worst part of war: losing someone close.

A cold state of no emotion settled over Dot's body. This was getting to be too much for one sprite to possibly handle. First, Matrix was nearly sent over the edge by the Infection, and now Dot had to be faced with the fact that Bob hadn't gotten any better and had a slim chance of recovery. The fever continued to grip his body in a steel hold, and it showed no signs of letting up. Dr. Qwerty had informed her that the infection in Bob's wound should go down soon, but so far nothing had changed.

__

Nothing ever changes, Dot thought unhappily. _Bob could just stay immobile for the rest of his life. Oh, User. . . ._

__

I need to get out of here, she decided. _Tomorrow, I can check on Bob again, and _— She knew that she would find the same sprite clinging to his life, but at the moment Dot couldn't battle through her increasing grief. She would deal with tomorrow when it came. For now, she needed time alone; to cry, to mourn, to plan.

She started for the doorway when deafening klaxons blared throughout the building. Dot recognized the alarms from the Principle Office back at home and knew that they signaled only one thing: a prisoner was escaping from the system. And Dot didn't have to be psychic to know exactly who was escaping. From what she head learned about Matrix's time in the Games, she was surprised it had taken him this long to get out of the jail.

__

Oh, sure, Dot thought bitterly. _Add some_ more _stress to my second, why don't you?_ She hurried toward the doorway, her mind already formulating how she would find the chief of security and get a ship to chase after her incriminated brother.

The Countess blocked the doorway before Dot could get through. "I'll go," Avi offered. Dot nodded, her face shining with weary thanks, and watched the Countess flee the room and race down the halls. She could hear Avi shouting for a guard escort, and the slowly fading _clang_s of booted feet hurrying down the hallways.

Her original intent not forgotten, Dot averted her attention from the prone figure on the hospital bed. Only a moment later, it was snapped back, when the life-support machine let out a sharp beep. Another beep followed the first, and another, steadily growing stronger and louder. Dot stopped short in the doorway; her breath caught in her throat, and her core-com seemed to stop beating; she didn't think she could deal with another false hope, but —

Dot spun around and hurried back to Bob's bedside. The monitor that displayed his vital signs used to show a straight line interrupted occasionally by tiny blips. Now, however, the monitor was going crazy; bright green lines darted up and down rapidly to the beat of the beeping. Dot risked a glance at Bob and was shocked to see that his skin was returning to its normal color.

Finally, Dot's logic sharply poked her muddled brain, and she recovered from her shock enough to jump up and run to the communicator on the wall. After hurriedly calling up Drs. Qwerty and Leonor, she rushed back to Bob's side and gripped his hand. "You can do it, Bob," she whispered, her voice shaking; she tightened her hold on his hand. "You've come too far to lose it all now."

"An accurate observation, Cadet," Dixon commented with dry humor. "I see they've taught you well.

"Long time no see," she continued, sweeping her eyes over his form with interest. "What have you been up to?"

Bob shrugged with feigned nonchalance. "Protected a small system from two dangerous viruses for a few minutes, spent an hour in the Web, merged with Glitch. You?"

A shadow of a grin crossed her lips. "What do you think I've done besides getting deleted? Believe me, it's nothing interesting."

"Well, at least you'll have a companion to share the non-fun with," Bob offered. "`Cause I'm not going anywhere else."

She shook her head before he had finished. "About that – As much as I'd like to spend eternity debating moral issues with you –" Dixon cleared her throat. "I'm sorry, but that's a lie. To spend eternity with you would be the worst torture I can imagine. Plus, you've got the makings of a real family, all who love you." Bob could have sworn her voice softened. "It's not your time to go, Cadet."

As she spoke the words, the colors and shapes of the scene around them blurred together, but the sounds of machinery grew louder and louder. Dixon didn't move, but suddenly the distance between her form and Bob's had doubled, then tripled. Bob struggled to stand still, but some sort of force had clamped on to him and was dragging him away from this scene. Memories shoved past him, and he was jerked so hard that the breath was whisked from his lungs.

He was afraid. He didn't want to leave this place; he was secure, with his mentor and friend to watch over him. 

" . . . Dixon . . ." His own voice was so faint it was nearly swallowed up by the increasing noise, by a loud, intrusive beeping that pounded throughout his entire body.

Dixon slowly shook her head, her short magenta hair swishing around her face. "I'm sorry, Bob," she said softly, and it was the first time during their exchange that she'd called him by his first name. "It's not your time." 

Bob shook his head in wordless protest, his hands scrabbling futilely to grab hold of this memory and stay – he just wanted some security, a reassurance that everything was stable.

As if reading his thoughts, "You have to go back," Dixon ordered. "_It's your home._ Don't forsake it for me. And that's an order, Cadet!" Her last words faded away as he was violently yanked from his memory, back to the world and to Dot.

"Miss Matrix," Dr. Leonor greeted her as he rushed into the room, looking disheveled and panting as if he had run down every stair in the hospital. Dot reluctantly dropped Bob's hand and moved aside so the doctor could inspect him. She crossed her arms tightly over her chest and chewed her lip as Dr. Leonor hovered over Bob's solidifying form and constantly checked the machine beside him. The erratic beeping slowed to a regular rhythm, and so did Dr. Leonor's movements, until he finally stood up, wincing as he stretched his sore legs, and stepped aside. Dot rushed to the bed and fell to her knees. She looked up at the doctor, wondering what had gone on in those few milliseconds.

"His energy levels spiked," Dr. Leonor explained quietly. "Then, all of a sudden, they went back to normal." He wiped a hand over his face before returning his gaze to hers. "To be honest, I'm dumbfounded that he's still processing," he continued slowly. "There was a sudden surge of – something, I'm really not sure what. His body was barely clinging to life, and then this – this new energy went racing through him." He waved his hands for emphasis, a look of utter awe on his face as if he himself didn't understand. "But now –" Dot saw his Adam's apple bob up and down in his throat, and her own chest constricted with painful, hopeful anticipation. "Now he's going to be all right."

Dot had thought that her body was drained of all tears, but suddenly her view of Dr. Leonor was blurred by warm liquid. Tears slipped down her cheeks as she turned away from the doctor and gazed at Bob, who was now breathing slowly and peacefully as solidity returned to his skin, then back at the sprite who stood beside her.

Dot scrambled to her feet and hugged the doctor fiercely, abandoning the protocol a Command.com would use when acting with a physician. "Thank you, thank you so much," she babbled into his shoulder. "I thought he was gone – I couldn't have lived without him – but you brought him back –" Beyond those jumbled ideas, she couldn't find any more words to express her heartfelt gratitude.

Dr. Leonor was clearly surprised and uncertain of how to react. He settled for half-hugging Dot, still feeling rather uncomfortable at being embraced by a commander, then gently holding her at arm's length. "Your welcome, Miss Matrix."

Dot flushed at her momentary loss of control and hurriedly wiped the tears from her eyes as she struggled to regain a shred of dignity. She stood straighter and more professionally, but her smile was of the sincerest joy.

"H-hey . . ." A rough voice, scratchy from disuse, spoke up from the bed. The speaker coughed once, then twice, and struggled to speak again. "What's – happening –"

Dot pried her hands off Dr. Leonor's arm and dropped beside the bed. Bob had barely stirred, but his eyes were open a crack, and a shadow of a smile played on his lips. "What'd I miss?" he asked in a strained whisper.

"Oh, my User – I – Bob –" Dot's voice broke on a strangled sob, and she began to weep again, louder than before, even as she tried to form words to show her happiness.

"Hi, Dot," he rasped. Dot leaned up to hug him tightly around the neck, and one of Bob's arms curled around her.

"It's good to have you back, Guardian Bob," Dr. Leonor ventured.

"It's good to be back," Bob managed to say, before another ragged cough overtook him. As he cleared his throat several times, he scrutinized the room carefully, taking in the medical equipment that had kept him processing for the past forty-eight microseconds. His sharp brown eyes caught the doctor's, and the expression there spoke volumes for what he understood.

"I'm not sure what exactly happened here," Bob said to Dr. Leonor, as Dot stared at him as if he were a ghost, "but thank you." It was his longest sentence yet, and the effect on the weary Guardian was clear. Dot sat up to look at him, but Bob's eyes were already fluttering shut. He muttered something unintelligible before his head dropped the few inches it had risen to rest on the pillow again. His arm around Dot went limp, and a moment later he was snoring.

Dot swallowed thickly and shot a panicked look at Dr. Leonor. "Is he – Will he wake up again?"

"Oh, of course, Miss Matrix," the Azraelian doctor hastened to assure her. "But he's very, very drained from the operation, and the sudden surge of energy." He shook his head again, still doubting the miracle that had occurred in the blink of an eye. "He's going to need to rest for some time."

Dot heard his words from far away. She nodded absently, her eyes glued to Bob's solidifying form. "But – he's all right?"

Dr. Leonor's lips twitched in the slightest of smiles. "He's going to be better than fine," he assured her. "Give him some time, and he'll be up before you know it."

Dot looked up at him; her eyes were filled with a vulnerable fear she hadn't shown to anyone since the second her parents were lost in the destruction of the Twin City. "May I stay with him until he wakes up?"

"Of course," Dr. Leonor answered. He seemed about to say something else, when a blue light flashed on the wall. He went to answer the message as Dot took Bob's hand in her own smaller one and gently massaged his skin with her fingers.

Dr. Leonor reappeared next to Bob's bed. "I'm needed with some other patients. I fear other victims with gunshot wounds won't be as lucky as Bob here has been. I'll be back to check on Bob again." Dot nodded; she was used to the doctor popping in and out, since he was needed in so many rooms for so many patients.

Dr. Leonor clasped Dot's shoulder, and she looked up at him questioningly. "We're through the worst of it," he assured her. "Everything looks to be okay from here on."

Dot managed a smile for what felt like the first time in hours. The doctor released his hand and trotted down the hall to the lift.

Romy sighed and leaned her head against the cool wall. One hand cradled her stomach wound, but already the gunshot wound had faded until it was almost invisible.

Stripe spared a glance from Dot to evaluate her companion. "Feeling better?" the older Protector asked.

Romy grinned. "Much better. Bob's a real fighter. Even at the end, when I thought I'd waste away with him, he made a huge comeback." Her eyes were closed, but she opened them now, and her eyes were bright. "We're going to be okay."

"I told you," Stripe reminded her. As steely as she tried to act, she gave into the temptation to smile. "Something's finally gone right in this war," she said. What followed was a contented, untroubled silence, until Romy suddenly broke it. "You can go now, you know."

"Excuse me?" Stripe blurted, completely perplexed with Romy's out-of-the-blue comment.

"Bob and I are going to be okay," Romy went on without answering, "but he needs you now."

"Who?" Stripe demanded, rapidly becoming exasperated; Romy was acting as if whatever she knew were common knowledge, but Stripe had no idea in hell what her companion was talking about.

"Rasta Mon, of course," Romy said. She shook her head. "I am smarter than you all would think. Things are rough for him, and he really needs you right now."

Stripe shifted uncomfortably and looked away. Her core-com screamed the same truth, but she couldn't bring herself to ever admit needing the obnoxious, loud-mouthed Raster Monitor.

But if he needed her, there was no way she could turn him down. Why, whenever he flashed those soulful black eyes at her, Stripe couldn't resist —

__

All right, that's crossing the border between friends and another thing very swiftly, Stripe rebuked herself. She shrugged in what she hoped was a casual manner and said aloud, "Fine. But don't do anything while I'm gone. On second thought, don't let Bob do anything. He needs to recover. Understand?"

"Yeah, yeah," Romy muttered, waving a hand at her to go. "What with Dot and you, poor Bob's going to be smothered."

"Better smothered than sorry," Stripe called as she melted into the air.

Protectors' powers could only reach so far over time and space, and since Matrix was nearly at the other ends of the Net by now, Rasta Mon was stretched about as far as a Protector could be. He and Stripe were able to meet in their own universe, however, at a spot located between them, to alleviate the strain for both.

Rasta Mon's head was bent, and his entire figure looked somber as Stripe cautiously approached. She had never seen him look so remorseful as he did at this moment.

"Hey," she called softly, and he slowly lifted his head, though his expression remained neutral. "How are you?"

A smile flitted over his face, but it was bitter and crooked. "I'm just alphanumeric," Rasta Mon answered with all the sardonic bite he could pull together. "My Protected is officially psycho, and he happens to be paving his way through the opposite corners of the Net, bent on getting as far away from everyone else as he can." He groaned, and his form flickered suddenly, like a scratchy hologram on the blink. "Even now I'm barely staying together, if you'll excuse the minor pun. But wait, there's more! Matrix is also infected by Daemon, so that bitch will have another slave to do her dirty work — which started with the shooting in Azrael, I might add." Rasta Mon sighed heavily, and his shoulders slumped in defeat. "How're you, Stripey?" He suddenly winced and muttered, "Sorry. I forgot you don't like to be called that."

At that moment, Stripe couldn't have cared if he called her the Word (another story for another time). With all the gentleness she could muster, she laid a hand on his arm and squeezed reassuringly. "It's all right, Ras," she murmured, pleasantly surprised when his eyes locked with hers. "I'm here." _What's that supposed to mean?_ her practical self questioned. _How can you change anything?_

__

I can't, but I can be there for him, Stripe retorted. If she had felt like being amused, she would have laughed at the argument going on inside her processor.

Rasta Mon was staring at her with the strangest look in his eyes. Suddenly feeling self-conscious, Stripe dropped her hand, but he grabbed it quickly, and she didn't do a thing to pull away.

"You realize we're calling each other by these cute nicknames and not getting on each other's nerves, for once?" the red-skinned Protector murmured with a touch of his old humor.

Stripe swallowed, and his eyes flashed. "Yeah," she whispered.

"And are you thinking what I'm thinking?" Rasta Mon persisted. Stripe couldn't answer that, because if she told him the truth it would ruin the steely, unapproachable demeanor she had spent generations perfecting. What scared her the most was if she were to let Rasta Mon see the soft, vulnerable side of her.

His eyes searched hers with an unfamiliar fierceness, and some of her true feelings must have surfaced, because Rasta Mon kissed her swiftly and warmly. His sudden action startled Stripe, but before she could pull away his arms had encircled her and pulled her tightly against him. After that, she was lost.

Well, not quite. When Rasta Mon broke away, Stripe managed to wriggle out of his grip. She backed up several feet, panting, her eyes wild and frightened. "What the hell was that?" she gasped, scared and happy at the same time.

Rasta Mon couldn't help but grin. It seemed he still had that "shock/confusion" effect on the ladies, and he was proud of it. His sudden switch to cheeriness only infuriated Stripe, but the next thing he did shoved aside her irritation to make way for total perplexity.

"I love you, Stripe," Rasta Mon declared. "I've loved you since the first four minutes you refused to acknowledge that I existed in the same Net as you. I've loved you even before you were in the slightest bit friendly towards me."

"You — you love me?" Stripe echoed, absolutely dumbfounded. _Now everything's gone down the drain,_ her sensible side spoke up while the rest of her remained in a state of shock brought on by happiness and relief. Since she had been granted the ability to become a new Protector, to take the name and identity of one stony woman called Stripe, she — Danni, she had been a long time ago, before one mess-up cost her the lives of herself and her Protected — had worked to keep up a suitable appearance. She had pledged never to be close to any other Protector or sprite, and she had kept that promise. Only, a fellow Protector had made it his job to approach her and finally goad her into a strange, sarcastic friendship. Now, said Protector loved her, and all Stripe could feel was an overwhelming joy. She wanted this, she knew.

But she didn't deserve it.

"Stripe?" Rasta Mon asked cautiously. "Stripe, you haven't said anything for about two milliseconds. What's wrong?" He expelled a deep breath, suddenly worried for the Protector he loved.

Stripe blinked furiously and refocused her gaze on sweet, carefree Rasta Mon. User, she really did love him, she realized. It was too bad he could never know. "I — I have to go," she murmured, backing up toward the portal back to Azrael.

For every step she took backward, Rasta Mon took one closer to her. "Whoa, Stripey, what's wrong?"

She halted and glared up at him, glad to feel anger surge through her body. It gave her an excuse to be irritated with him. "That — this is wrong, what you're doing," she snapped. "And stop calling me Stripey."

Then Rasta Mon understood — or thought he did. "Was there something wrong with me kissing you?"

"Yes!" Stripe yelled. "How could you do that?" _How could you — when I'm not the least bit deserving of your endless love?_

"Well, excuse me," Rasta Mon huffed, feeling a bit miffed himself. "And here I thought you _liked_ being kissed."

"What ever gave you that idea?"

"Maybe the fact that you didn't pull away," Rasta Mon shot back. "I thought we loved each other, Stripe."

"We do, it's just —" Stripe abruptly clamped her lips shut. "What I mean is, you do, but I —" _Great, now I can't even bring myself to lie to him._

"You're running hot and cold on me, and I don't like it," Rasta Mon said, his voice suddenly dangerously quiet. "Which is it?"

"It's nothing," Stripe hissed, turning her head away from him so he couldn't see the pain in her dark eyes. "Just drop it."

"No, not until I understand what's wrong with you." He attempted to approach her again, but Stripe disappeared before he could reach her. Rasta Mon curled his hands into fists and shouted at the air, "Is this about you not loving anyone?" Stripe was still in the realm with him; he could feel her presence although he couldn't see her. "Why is that, Stripe? Are you afraid? Bitter? Heartbroken? Come on, tell me!"

Stripe appeared near the portal to Azrael, and Rasta Mon rushed toward her. He jumped in front of her, cutting her off from the portal. "Come on, Stripe, I've known you for nearly two generations. You can talk to me!"

"Just leave it alone, Rasta Mon," Stripe snarled in a low voice. A moment later, she turned invisible to his eyes.

Rasta Mon placed his hands on his hips and surveyed the seemingly empty realm. "You know, Stripe, you're a lot like Dot, and that is not meant in any way as a compliment," he muttered to her, wherever in the room she was. From behind him he heard a tinkling of bells, and then Stripe's presence was gone.

Rasta Mon swore under his breath. There was no doubt about it; she was back in Azrael.

Bob had drifted off to restless sleep only half a micro after he had awoken. Dot knelt by his bed, refusing to leave the room until he woke again. She had come too close to losing Bob, and she wasn't about to risk that again.

Dot's eyelids sagged, and she leaned her head on her elbows wearily. It was getting late, her mind reasoned, and her body needed sleep. But there was no way she could leave Bob.

A soft groan emitted from somewhere on Dot's right. Her head snapped up hard enough to hurt, and she watched anxiously as Bob's eyes cracked open for the second time that second, and his lips lifted in a slight smile. He swallowed several times; he opened his mouth to speak, but his throat was dry from disuse. "Dot?" he finally croaked.

"I'm here, Bob," she whispered, her voice shaking. Bob lifted one arm to hug her awkwardly, and Dot slowly stood to better wrap her arms around him. The moment she felt his warm, solid body next to hers, her control dissolved and she wept uncontrollably into his flimsy hospital gown.

Bob returned her hug as best he could and kissed the top of her head, breathing in Dot's familiar scent; User, how he had missed that, and everything else about her. "I love you, Dot," he whispered, his voice still hoarse and rusty.

"Oh, User," she sobbed, hugging her arms even tighter around the Guardian.

Stripe, invisible to all sprite and binome eyes, materialized on a nearby chair and watched the two sprites. Rarely seen liquid shimmered in her eyes.

A red hand reached over her shoulder and drew her to its owner. Rasta Mon kissed her cheek, really just a light fluttering of his lips, and whispered, "Don't you want love like that?"

Stripe couldn't fight him when he acted so tenderly. She resigned herself to the knowledge that their love was meant to be, and that Rasta Mon was the one sprite she couldn't push away. She leaned back against Rasta Mon's body, silent tears streaming down her cheeks as he kissed her swirl of brown hair. For an unknown period of time, they sat together in the first real peace either had experienced for hours.

The fog of happiness was blown away by present reality far too soon, unfortunately. Stripe straightened and asked, "How can you be here, when it's too far for you to travel?" she asked, as she looked back at Rasta Mon. She gasped when she saw his face; only the barest flicker of red color indicated that he sat beside her; he looked like a sprite who had been partially erased by a magnet.

"I'm stretched to my limits, believe me," he assured her with some humor that Stripe hadn't realized she really longed to hear. "But that means I can hold out for only a little longer. Now, let's do this scene again and try to get our lines right: I love you, Stripe."

"I love you, Rasta Mon," Stripe answered solemnly. Her entire core-com seemed to lift with those words, and she felt freer than she had since Danni Cee had been erased and Stripe had replaced her.

Rasta Mon's form shuddered, and he nearly blinked out. After a moment, he managed to speak again. "Matrix is raising hell in tons of other systems; and like I said, the poor guy's infected. He really needs a certain sensible Protector to set him straight."

Stripe nodded and gazed into his eyes, feeling sad at the realization that she wouldn't see him for a while, when she had just discovered how much she cared for him.

Rasta Mon bent to kiss her again, though it was nothing more than a soft brush of his lips on her own. Stripe shut her eyes and savored the feeling; when she opened her eyes and looked around, Rasta Mon was gone.

A tall woman standing in the corner of the room pumped her fist in the air. "_Yes_!" she hissed in elation. "Stripe and Ras, Bob and Dot." Romy sighed happily and slid to the floor, still grinning like a happy idiot. "If only every second were like this."


End file.
